Redemption and Retribution
by Loki Nishizaki
Summary: Naruto and his quest for acknowledgment take a different read: horrifying turn. In the end, Scarhead, Weaselmask, the masked pervert, the nice lady and the crazy lady all band together to 'improve' his life. Friendship has never been so twisted.
1. Chapter 1

Before you start reading this, let me just say that this story isn't as dark as it appears.

* * *

Contact. 

"_Uzumaki Naruto…" _

_The white noise of the marketplace seemed to dissipate as the two males watched one another. Both could discern vast amounts of information from the other, but only one was fooled by delusion._

"_Move aside brat, you're in the way."_

Just how much can an ostracized boy crave attention? How far… how low is he willing to go to get it?

Hope can be a harsh mistress…

"_You want me to train you?" The sheer incredulity in the man's voice made him ache…__ He would prove them wrong… he would. The masked man with the hateful eyes would only be the first step._

_The man was apparently pleased by his discomfort, as he usually was. "Have you lost whatever feeble mind you had, monster? I hate you. What's more, you know that I hate you. Why would you possibly want me to train you?"_

_Naruto looked the man in the eye and was unfazed by the restrained hostility. "Everyone hates me… but you're not like them__."_

"_Ha! What makes their hatred so different from mine?"_

"_You're… honest."_

The lesser of two evils… is still evil.

"_Understand this, monster. I am going to use whatever opportunity I have to hurt you… just because I can. You want training? Fine. We'll 'train'.__ You won't much like my methods, but you're free to quit at any time."_

_Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you… can you tell me your name?"_

_The man's glare was suddenly amplified by monstrous killing intent. Naruto felt his lungs constrict as terror immobilized him. The man held the gaze for a few more seconds before letting off. _

_The seven year old fell to his knees and gasped for breath as his new__teacher spoke. "You don't deserve to know, monster. But you can just call me Justice."_

A man and a conflict. Undying loyalty, patriotism balanced against abhorrence. How low is a man willing to go when given an opportunity? How low can he go when no one will stop him?

_Naruto screamed as a rain of __blades tore at his flesh, sending wild signals to his brain and ravaging his sense of self. When he fell to the bloody ground, he was closer to a leaking sack of meat than a human being. _

"_Well?" his teacher asked. "You can still move can't you? Get up and fight, monster," the man ordered._

_After a few seconds, Naruto complied. _

As it turns out, the pit is deep indeed.

"_What did you think you were doing? Your methods were barbaric…__ I should have you killed!" _

_Naruto interjected immediately. "Don't worry about me, old man! I'll get his acknowledgement, one way or the other." _

_Sarutobi's blood chilled as he realized that the incredibly traumatizing experience Naruto went through… didn't seem to affect him at all. He was the same as he always was. What did that say about his usual state of mind?_

"_You understand now, Hokage-sama? You say I broke him, but there was nothing to break. The boy was never all there to begin with. He was free to quit at any time. He still is. This is what he wants."_

When mental disorder isn't harmful to society, can it be tolerated? Who is the true monster?

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto, age seven, a blond haired, blue eyed and underdeveloped boy.

The previous sentence contained entirely factual information regarding one of Konohagakure's newest military aspirants. While that information was basic in nature, it was also privately contested by the majority of the village's inhabitants. To them, the following sentence would be much more accurate.

Kyuubi no Youko, age unknown, a red eyed, nine-tailed and immense kitsune demon, colored like diluted blood.

The two sentences are massively disparate and yet they are both attached to the same being, a being with the appearance of a blond haired, blue eyed boy. So, why was the second sentence so widely attached to the seemingly ordinary youth?

If one were to ask a knowledgeable resident of that village, one would receive a well known adage as an answer.

"_It's what's on the inside that counts."_

But if one were to ask history's strongest, most successful ninja, Sarutobi Sasuke, what he thought about the matter, he would tell them:

"_When dealing with ninja, one must look underneath the underneath. __Unfortunately, it is a lesson many fail to learn."_

Uzumaki Naruto was not a shinobi, but his very existence was intertwined with them. He was attached to them before his very birth.

* * *

He was a man, thirty-nine years of age. While skilled in his chosen profession, he was considered ancient in the eyes of his peers. ANBU didn't have particularly long life expectancies. He wasn't a fossil like their venerable Hokage, but he was certainly one of the seniors.

A man with no family, no friends and no prospects, a victim of circumstance, one circumstance, one tragedy. Seven years before, his loved ones faced the strongest being known to man.

He was by their side. He watched, helpless, as his comrades and his entire clan became dreadfully inanimate. Suddenly, he had nothing of worth left and no way to regain what he had lost. Worse still, he had been unlucky enough to survive.

Suicide wasn't an option. He was ANBU. He would die when and where his village told him to and not a second before. Unlike many of his comrades, he wasn't prone to drinking himself under the table. He couldn't allow himself to forget their faces, not even for a second. He would remember, always. He was the only one that could.

Therefore, work was what the remnants of his life revolved around. The assignments he requested like clockwork, the bodies he no longer cared about… and the mask he wore more often than not. That mask was unique among the ANBU as it was bore no distinguishing marks. A white mask, a personal request that his superiors felt obligated to grant. He had no squad and belonged to no division. He drifted along to where he was needed, where he felt like going. Officially, he was long since retired.

Unofficially, his designation was…

"Vagrant, that's another successful mission! Pretty soon you'll reach fifteen hundred."

The public rooms and hallways of the ANBU headquarters were practically identical. They were uniformly well lighted, carpeted, bleached and above all, silent. The absence of sound was a quality that unnerved rookies and bothered their seniors, because in the absence of stimulation, the mind occupied itself. In perfect darkness, they could see things that weren't there. In perfect silence, they could hear from the inside.

A ninja's mind was filled with screams that never quieted and voices that knew no rest.

The only exceptions were the personal and mission debriefing office. They were the only rooms that were ever populated by anyone and it was therefore no surprise that his mission count was common knowledge.

The one called Vagrant smiled slightly and responded in a civil and socially constructive manner. "Something to look forward to."

He had no friends, but he did have acquaintances. He didn't really mind the small talk.

His associate nodded as he gave his mission report to the rookie kunoichi who got suckered into handling the paperwork. If she was smart, then she would study the methods detailed in the debriefing and turn this into a learning experience as it was supposed to be. Judging by her bored expression, that was unlikely.

"Well, we'll see you later, I'm sure. Have a good day, Vagrant," the upbeat man gave his farewells and left to join his squad mates.

The masked man nodded and headed towards his cheap one bedroom apartment. He'd sold his official clan lands when the hallucinations began to impede his work. He'd kept the money, but never really found a use for it.

The sun was being swallowed by the distant horizon and the winds pushed grey clouds overhead. Rain was coming, how unpleasant. His black robes suddenly seemed to gain a hundred pounds and lose thirty degrees. He was cold and not a little dismayed.

It would be a long night.

* * *

The jinchuuriki labeled with the appellation Uzumaki Naruto was not physically daunting. As a matter of fact, in another time, another place, a boy with his appearance would've been continuously assaulted by passing women. Particularly, his soft, delicate cheeks would've received traumatic damage. It was known to many that old ladies loved to pinch the cheeks of cute children and that they liked to pinch hard.

Unfortunately for the little boy, there was no old lady in Konoha who would approach his marked face with the intention of delighting in its innocent beauty. They were much more likely to scratch at it and try to tear his vibrant eyes out until he ran away, as he discovered when he was big enough to travel on his own, at the age of four.

The boy didn't remember this, but he spent the first few years of his life in the company of Sarutobi Sasuke, Konohagakure's Third Hokage, after it was discovered that his caretakers had been feeding him pig's blood instead of milk. When questioned by Ibiki, it was revealed that this wasn't done with malicious intent, but that they simply acted in what they believed to be the best interest of the demon child.

Sarutobi, who finally understood what Naruto would have to live through, showered the child with attention and love. He raised the child out of duty, guilt and sincere affection for the infant. He had promised his predecessor that he would do everything in his power so that his orphaned child would be happy and he was a man of his word. In doing so, he would impart his impressionable charge with his love for humanity, his sense of right and wrong.

Naruto would never forget. At the age of thirteen months, when Naruto became aware of his own individuality, he became firmly entrenched in the path of the optimist.

Naruto's road would be a long one, because his opponent was not a person or a group, but prejudice, which was much harder to overcome. The general populace believed him to be a demon in disguise and there was nothing he could do to change their minds. They would believe him by themselves or not at all.

Because there could be no compromise between predator and prey, as long as they denied him his humanity, Naruto would always be seen as an enemy. There would be no guilt, no conscience involved. Only the most logical, the most observant of beings would see him as he was and only after observing him for some time.

At the age of seven, Naruto joined Konoha's central ninja academy, home of the brightest upcoming ninja in the world.

Naruto was unaware of Kyuubi's existence inside of him because Sarutobi wished it so. The old man meant well, but his act was a setback nonetheless. Naruto believed that he lacked acceptance when he, in fact, lacked humanity. From his point of view, he couldn't have made a better choice. If he wanted respect and acknowledgement becoming a ninja was the perfect path. However…

Trying to find humanity in the shinobi world was pure folly.


	2. Chapter 2

_Some things are better left unsaid._

_For most, the past is buried among the rotten remnants of the dead. For others, the yesterday lives on long after its time and even leaks into tomorrow. In those cases, to find the past, you need only look at the present._

_Konohagakure no Sato, __ten complete planetary revolutions after the long night ended. _

_Redemption and retribution, flawed perspectives, chapter one: _

_Return to the academy._

_Year 10 of the new calendar, a few hours after sunrise._

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly, silently sustaining the world below it. Small tribes of white clouds were drifting along the azure sky, pulled along by the summertime breeze. It was the kind of day where life flourished, where work was pushed aside in favor of well deserved trips to the nearest swimming holes.

It was a time for recreation and it seemed that, for once, Naruto was not exempt from this.

The young boy was lazing about the outskirts of the village, intertwined with the forest canopy. His spine was aligned with one of an old tree's thick limbs, suspended many feet above ground and surrounded by its many brethren.

To the short blonde, keeping balance on so big a branch was beyond simple, it was a skill he'd long since perfected. His back stretched along the length of the branch and adjusted automatically to the many minute shifts of his chosen perch, caused by the wind and his right leg as he swung it below him. Even as he dozed, he still retained enough presence of mind to whistle a soft tune. It had no beginning and no end that he knew of. It was just a song… random and carrying little rhythm, but surprisingly harmonic.

As he whistled on, he was left in peace. The forest had no lack of insects and animals, but none of them came into physical contact with the ten year old. It was a time filled with quiet and calmness.

In truth, Naruto was kind of bored, but he suspected that it wouldn't last much longer. It was obviously a setup. The only thing left to do was find out what the old man wanted from him.

Soon, he was brought out of his stupor by silent movement. There was a ninja near him, probably ANBU… skilled ANBU at that. The old man wasn't kidding… to send his personal ANBU after him in conjunction with Sensei's mission.

In the three years since they'd started training, Sensei hadn't requested a single mission and as such spent all his time in the village. Then, all of a sudden, three days before _that day_'s ten year anniversary, he suddenly receives a mission request that would send him out of the country indefinitely. Sarutobi had always expressed his disapproval of Naruto's training, but it wasn't like him to be so forceful. Something had changed.

Without divulging his actual location, the hidden ANBU gave a location and a deadline.

The Academy, twenty minutes.

When the shinobi's presence melted away, the blond boy could feel a sliver of worry cut at his composure. He had never been able to stand uncertainty. But then that worry was crushed under a mountain of bravado and left no mark of its existence. The vessel took to the high road with a smile on his face. After all, he liked the old man. What could possibly happen?

* * *

"Naruto-kun, you have a problem, and you need help," Sarutobi said softly. He took hold of Naruto's smaller hand and sat him down on a meticulously placed chair before sitting down in front of him. "This is an intervention," he said solemnly.

Naruto tilted his head to the left, as if the different perspective would help him understand the old man's meaning. "Huh? Hey, hey, old man, what's an 'intervention'?"

"You see, Naruto, when someone that is cared about starts to act in a manner that harms themselves… blah, blah, blah…"

Sensing that the old man was entering 'long winded lecture' mode, Naruto felt his attention slipping away into the abyss as Sarutobi's voice melted into soothing white noise. Normally, he would've fallen asleep at this point, but his surroundings were just interesting and threatening enough to keep him awake.

The young boy, the wizened kage and his entourage were settled in one of the unused classrooms of Konoha's Academy of ninja arts, standing or resting on diverse objects in various levels of comfort. Surprisingly, Sarutobi's gathered subordinates consisted of people Naruto knew to assorted extents and who also viewed him in a somewhat favorable light.

Coincidentally, each and every one of them had, at one point or another, been sent by the Hokage to try and convince him to stop training. They had failed spectacularly and repeatedly, but had come out of the experience with new respect, or pity for the blond vessel.

First on the list was Weasel-mask, who was standing stiffly in full ANBU uniform… sable toeless boots, pants and short sleeved shirt under silver chest armor with gauntlets, mask and fully stocked with weapons… near the old man's side. Weasel-mask was the creepiest ninja in the room, hands down. Around other people, the extremely talented fifteen year old was as taciturn as many of his peers, but around Naruto, he would gain an unhealthy gleam in his eyes. Then, one day, he had said that he would use Naruto to test his capacity. Naruto had thought that it sounded vaguely sexual and had avoided the young man until he realized that the older boy had been talking about training.

After that, he had put twice as much effort into avoiding the ANBU commander. That guy was scary talented and Naruto wanted no part of no fight. Horribly humiliating defeats were anathema to him.

Next on the line was the crazy lady, who was gleefully running through a pile of dango from the top of a desk. The less said about her, the better. She was wearing her usual clothing, fishnet, a brown mini skirt, more fishnet, a tan trench coat, fishnet and more knives than she knew what to do with. Of course, none of the sharp weapons were actually visible, but he knew they were in there… somewhere. Out of all the gathered ninja, she was the most perverted and that was saying something. Combined with her lack of ethics, that made her extremely dangerous for reasons he didn't ever want to remember.

Standing on the crazy lady's right side was the nice lady, a very pretty young woman with long black hair, crimson eyes and light makeup. She was wearing an outfit that consisted of white and red cloth that seemed to be held together by bandages. It was very confusing. The nice lady was a Chuunin specialized in genjutsu who seemed to be amazed by Naruto's ability to weave illusions and kept trying to convince him to pursue that path, which the boy was reluctant to do because illusions were too much like lies. The blond could hide the truth well, but avoided actually lying as much as possible.

Of course, since the nice lady was supposed to try to convince him to stop training, her failure surpassed all others because she actually did the opposite. She also appeared to like the crazy lady, who she had met through Naruto. Unfortunately, that meant he avoided her most of the time because her friend was crazy.

On the crazy lady's other side, sitting down sideways on a chair was the masked pervert, who always looked like a drooping idiot. He had spiky grey hair, black eyes, wore the official uniform for higher level ninja which consisted of blue pants and shirt under a green flak jacket and wore his forehead protector like an eye patch. He was a Jounin, but he was also an idiot who liked to read naughty books in public.

Finally, standing a few feet behind the Hokage was Konoha's chief interrogator, Scarhead. He wore black clothes under a black trench coat with a black forehead protector that served as a bandana. In addition, his scalp was also seriously disfigured by a series of scars and burn marks. Personally, Naruto thought that the scars were just an excuse to cover his lack of hair. Seriously, if he really wanted to get rid of the scars then he would've gotten surgery already.

In any case, Baldy seemed to respect him because he could take massive amounts of punishment without breaking down. Naruto thought that Scarhead just liked the fact that someone routinely lived through worse pain than what had happened to him. The man was kind of malicious.

"…ruto, Naruto!" The boy in question was abruptly brought back to the ongoing lecture when the old man shook his shoulder slightly. "Are you listening to me?" the third asked redundantly. The blond vessel never understood why people asked questions when they already knew the answer. However, since the old man asked, he was obligated to respond.

"Nope!" he answered cheerfully. Sarutobi sighed and slumped slightly.

"And why not?" he asked wearily.

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. He would've thought it obvious. "You talk too much. Really, old man, I asked you what an intervention was and you give me a complete presentation instead of a definition," he explained.

Sarutobi frowned at the child in front of him. "I did no such thing!" he exclaimed in outrage.

Naruto frowned in honest displeasure. He hated it when the old man lied, even when the kage didn't realize he was doing it. "You were about to bring out charts. And don't try to deny it."

They didn't call him 'The Professor' for nothing.

Sarutobi began to sweat under the vessel's scrutiny and waved his hand as if to disperse the topic. "Never mind that," he instructed before shaking his head. The Third smiled wryly and locked eyes with the youth who couldn't help but smile back. The kage chuckled softly and decided to keep it short. "Naruto, you need to socialize more. I know you stopped going to class to focus on your combat training but it's come to the point where your isolation is proving detrimental. Starting from today, I want you to start attending classes and try to make some friends."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "So that's why you sent Sensei out of the village."

The third nodded in confirmation. "Yes, it was one of my better ideas. You've become a little too obsessed with gaining Vagrant's recognition. I thought a little distance would be beneficial," he explained.

The reinstated academy student shrugged his shoulders. He didn't exactly agree with Sarutobi, but he appreciated the honesty. Besides, he didn't have anything better to do, nor did he have any sort of control over his Sensei's decisions.

"Alright… I see why you want me to go to school again… but why are they here?" he said, while gesturing towards the other ninja.

The Hokage's hat slid down slowly until it removed the old man's eyes from view. "Oh, them?" He acted like he'd forgotten about their presence. "They're here to help you adjust," he stated casually.

Immediately, everyone in the room was on edge. They had just been forced into hostile territory and they would need all of their skill to get out of it intact. Regrettably, the kage's experience and guile gave him a massive advantage.

"Help me adjust? What do you mean by that?" For some reason, Naruto was scared. Terrified even.

Sarutobi's smile grew wide and toothy. Not a good sign. "Well, it's simple. These five fine, upstanding ninja…" No one was taken in by the man's sincerity. "…will accompany you on the first few classes you attend."

Utter speechlessness. Not a single one of them had been prepared for their leader's statement. Even the masked pervert stopped reading his book. Their sentiments were unanimous; they'd been taken out of active duty for this?

Using his audience's shock to his advantage, the Hokage proceeded to explain the reasoning behind his decision. "It occurred to me recently that children usually have their parents or guardians accompany them on the first day of their first year. Unfortunately, as you well know, your father Minato was an orphan, your mother a foreigner and prospective guardians kept their distance because of your burden. You went through your entrance alone. It is my belief that this event is at the root of your socialization issues, so I sought to remedy the situation. This time, when you gain the company of your peers, it will be with the support and care of people who care for you, and if you ever need…"

The kage's impassioned speech was brought to a halt when Naruto called for him with tears in his eyes.

"Grandpa…" He cried as he hiccupped slightly.

Sarutobi paid close attention, because Naruto hadn't called him that in a long while. He leaned closer to the blond and took in the small boy's saddened visage. "Yes, Naruto?"

The child shook his head slightly, causing a few tears to roll onto his cheeks. "Why are you doing this to me? Please… _please_ don't make me go through this! I'll be good! I swear!" he exclaimed desperately.

Konoha's kage remained impassive in the face of sorrow. For the greater good, sacrifices had to be made. "It's for your own good. Besides, doesn't it sound pleasant? I'm sure you'll have fun." Honestly, Sarutobi was a little perturbed by Naruto's reaction. The boy was usually optimistic in the face of the most dreadful scenarios… so why was he acting so timidly?

Naruto, on the other hand, was thinking about the old man's words. Fun? Pleasant? "It sounds _horrible!_"

Unfortunately, no matter how much he pleaded and cajoled, he was unable to change the old man's mind. Even worse, he had made two terrible and crucial mistakes. The third was now convinced that Naruto was simply unused to depending on others, so he would have to be pressured into it.

Furthermore, his display of weakness had convinced the others to go along with their boss' plan. The nice lady was apparently as delusional as the old man, because she actually agreed with his assessment of the situation. In her own words: "How could I have missed this? It's so obvious!"

Scarhead and the perverted idiot were attracted to his suffering. The humiliation involved in their assignment was largely overtaken by his grief. Baldy was whispering under his breath about something related to psychological torture and idiot's visible eye was curving happily.

The crazy lady may or may not have developed a positive opinion on the matter. The blond had turned to find her staring at him sympathetically and he had quickly looked away. He had learned the hard way that some sorts of positive feeling felt by the older special Jounin were expressed sexually, so he had good reason to fear her. Who knew what would happen if she wanted to comfort him?

As for Weaselmask… well, Naruto had no idea what he was thinking. Even without the wooden disguise covering his face, the talented teenager was very hard to read.

Sarutobi had chosen his captors well… there was no way Naruto could elude even two of them, let alone all five at once. One thing was clear. He was trapped.

* * *

Naruto walked through the empty hallways of the Academy, morosely dragging his steps and stalling uselessly as he walked towards his doom; a classroom on the other side of the school, where his classmates were due to return after the annual fieldtrip. Most of his companions were quite willing to let him be, but one couldn't stand to see so dispirited.

"Oh come on, Naruto, cheer up! It can't possibly be that bad," her favored tactic to lighten gloomy situations was to trivialize the bad aspects instead of finding actual silver linings. It was a tactic that failed spectacularly when in contact with anyone who wasn't a pessimist. Of course, since she was a kunoichi, the chances of her actually interacting with an optimist were practically nil.

Enter a blond, blue eyed, solar impersonator.

The ten year old sighed slightly and attempted to explain his foul mood. "Nice lady, it's just that…"

The nice lady's eyebrow twitched as she spoke to him gently, but firmly. "Naruto… if you call me that one more time…" she warned.

A blond, blue eyed, solar impersonator who was also easily distracted.

The boy looked up to his nicest 'caretaker' and wondered at her anger. "What's wrong with that nickname?" he asked with genuine curiosity. "I mean, I know why Baldy and the Idiot complain every once in a while, and even why Weaselmask and the crazy lady are secretly annoyed by theirs…"

The crazy lady piped up in peaceful protest. "Actually, I don't mind mine at all," she revealed.

Surprised, Naruto turned to face her fully for the first time since… the incident. "Really?"

The woman smiled brightly in response. "Yep! You can call me whatever you want dearest!"

The marked child blinked slowly. "That's really nice of you," he said, before nodding as he came to a conclusion. "I've decided, from now on, I will call you Anko."

Anko beamed.

Naturally, this almost drove the nice lady to the point of gruesome murder.

"What!" she screeched in outrage.

Naruto turned to her and repeated her statement. "What?" The incomprehension in his voice made her even angrier.

She glared at him frighteningly until he began to step away from her. "I have a name! You know it, use it!" she ordered.

Anko jumped to her charge's rescue. "You know Kurenai, you're not being very nice right now. We might have to change your nickname to something less flattering."

As the chuunin in question turned her glare in her friend's direction, Weaselmask decided to speak up for the first time.

"Naruto-kun, what is your plan to complete your mission?" he asked in his usual dulcet tones.

Naruto was forced to stop as his total incomprehension wouldn't allow him to multitask. He combed over his conversation with the old man in search for a mission and came up with nothing. "What mission?" he asked the ANBU leader.

"I believe Hokage-sama instructed you to socialize. Make friends," he explained.

Naruto scratched the back of his head as he tried to understand the man's logic. "Wait… how am I supposed to plan for that?"

"You could identify the individuals most likely to become receptive to your advances," Weaselmask counseled.

"Receptive to my advances?" Naruto looked at the teenager suspiciously before shaking his head. "You know Weasel, you should probably choose your words more carefully. Most of what you say kind of sounds perverted. Besides, how am I supposed to find out their personalities? A stakeout?" he inquired as he finally continued making actual progress to his destination. "Say, Scarhead, don't you usually collect the profiles of upcoming ninja?"

The scarred man shook his head. "Not until they become chuunin," he clarified.

"Don't you have one on me?" Naruto asked curiously.

"You're a special case… though I guess it shouldn't be too hard to gather intel on a bunch of kids… could come in useful," he supposed.

The idiot emerged from the depths of his book long enough to make an annoying statement. "Maa… you guys really shouldn't be giving him ideas."

The tallest man in the group turned to the Jounin. "Do you really want to fail this mission Kakashi? The kid needs all the help he can get," he argued.

Kakashi remained a little undecided. "I don't know… it seems a little underhanded. We're dealing with friendlies after all…" he pointed out.

"Ibiki-san is correct. Naruto-kun's chances of success are very low," Weaselmask measured.

"Itachi, don't you have a brother his age?" Kakashi asked. Maybe there would be an easy way to complete their task.

Itachi nodded in confirmation. "Yes, but I don't think Sasuke would make a very good friend."

Naruto looked slightly disappointed. "Why not?"

"You are stronger than he is, Naruto-kun. He would object to that quite severely," Itachi explained.

The boy shrugged and laid out the game plan. "Oh well, we'll stick to surveillance and only interrogate the instructors if we have to." Four out of five ninja agreed with his judgment.

One did not. "You will do no such thing, Naruto!"

The blond turned to Kurenai, incredulous. "But it's our best chance!" he proclaimed.

She stared at him sternly and spoke with the sincerity she was known for. "Naruto, you can't make real friends by manipulating them. All you have to do is be yourself. If they don't like you then they're not worth knowing anyway."

Naruto scowled and increased his speed. "…Fine. We'll do it the natural way, fail, and be right back where we started. No, wait. We'll have made negative progress. Happy?"

Kurenai raised an eyebrow as Naruto's foul mood returned. "Someone's cranky. You're not usually like this, Naruto."

The child just sighed slightly. "I know. It's just that it's hard to be cheerful when everything you've worked for… everything you've bled for is about to encounter massive setbacks… an entire generation gone down the drain," he whispered.

"You're exaggerating," she said.

Naruto just stared ahead with a blank look in his eyes. Kurenai looked away and decided to let experience prove him wrong.

* * *

He was beautiful. That fact she could never even try to deny.

His blond locks were tinted somewhere between lemon and gold and were very distinctive. She'd only ever seen one other person with that particular tint. When associated with his reflective azure eyes, she couldn't understand how anyone could deny his lineage. His hair had grown longer since she first saw him and he would probably cut it soon if she didn't do anything about it. That would be a shame. His hair was wild but naturally straight. He almost never needed to comb it and he looked better when it was long enough to hang down above his eyes as well as reach for the sky.

He always had a healthy tan, which was unusual for a kid his age and even more so for a ninja. The skilled soldiers were under cover more often than not. He had a cherubic face which would lean out handsomely as he got older, straight teeth that shone when he smiled and a trio of cute black whisker marks etched on each cheek. Those whisker marks stopped being cute whenever Naruto got serious, but few were aware of it.

The boy was shorter than others his age, but that would change as he got older. He was muscular and athletic looking with a lower percentage of body fat than his peers, as he was somewhat underfed. He never did get enough quantity and variety when he ate.

Naruto usually wore a plain white shirt and navy blue pants held up with elastic, both several sizes oversized. It wasn't that he couldn't afford clothes that fit; it was just that he frequently shape-shifted into an older form in order to deal with his disadvantage in melee attack range. It was how those who knew him well also knew what he would look like as an adult. It turned out that he looked almost exactly like his father.

Everyone agreed that it would eventually become a definite advantage when dealing with foreign ninja but Anko didn't care about it much beyond that. Naruto was his own man and he was someone special.

She sat in one of the room's four corners, facing her charge and the rest of the class. She ignored their curious glances and kept her eyes on the prize.

Naruto's introduction to the class went off without too many difficulties. He gave his name without much enthusiasm and walked to an empty seat. Coincidentally, the seat he chose was right next to Itachi's little brother. The reason it had been empty was that a small crowd of kunoichi had been fighting over it. The girls glared at him and probably would've attacked him, but the presence of his escort forced them to let it go. Naruto, who had been staring ahead blankly, was oblivious to the entire sequence.

Most of the teachers were leery around him and some of the brighter children visibly recognized him and were subsequently confused by his presence, but there was little else of note. Of course, the adults seemed to believe that Naruto's skilled ninja escort was assigned to keep him docile, but that was not unexpected.

The lesson went on as planned with the students leaning over periodically to get a glance at the new kid and gossiping with their neighbors. Naruto ignored them. As a matter of fact, he ignored everything because he had fallen asleep not long after the lesson started. His mouth fell open slightly and warm drool began to dribble out.

Adorable, simply adorable.

Right about then, the instructor got the bright idea to try and wake Naruto using a blunt kunai, which was somewhat excessive. Anko could've let Naruto handle it, but there was about a thirty percent chance he would wake up in the process. So instead she hit the man with enough killing intent to freeze his muscles mid-throw, including his sphincter. She didn't feel like dealing with a mess.

"You might want to reconsider. You won't like what I'll do to you if you wake him up," she threatened.

"Anko, Naruto was brought here to learn. He can't do that if he's asleep." Kakashi remarked as he turned to another page from one of the room's other corners.

The special Jounin snorted derisively. "What could he possibly learn here? You can't believe a lecture is going to teach him anything and even if it could, this guy doesn't have anything Naruto needs to learn," she explained.

Kurenai spoke from another corner and added to Anko's argument. "As much as I dislike Anko's methods, she does have a point… besides, maybe a nap will cheer him up. You wouldn't want him to fail his main objective, would you?" she asked sweetly. Kakashi had no comment.

Anko smiled at her friend who easily returned it. The chuunin was mostly straight laced but she was also biased in Naruto's favor. The instructor hadn't gained any points with his hostile intentions. In any case, they had more than enough of that with Vagrant.

Thinking about the forty-two year old ANBU filled her with a cold rage that could only be compared to her hatred of Orochimaru. If it weren't for the fact that the blond liked the sadist and depended on him or rather, his acceptance of him, she would've gutted him a long time ago. However, Naruto had invested much energy into that scum, so she couldn't just get rid of him… at least not until he acknowledged Naruto's humanity. After that, well… she was sure Hokage-sama wouldn't put too much effort into finding the killer.

The seductive woman smiled cruelly as she contemplated Vagrant's eventual fate. The man was getting desperate. He wouldn't be able to keep ignoring the truth for much longer. She had to admit that Naruto was ingenious, even if only subconsciously.

Naruto and Vagrant had started training three years ago and in that time, the older man hadn't sustained even one serious injury and it wasn't as if Naruto was weak. At his level of strength, no one could fight him and come out of it completely unscathed. It was impossible. No one was that skilled. Doing it every day for three years?

Naruto was holding back, and everyone knew it but him. It was a sign of his fundamental goodness and Vagrant couldn't handle it. His attacks and general attitude were rising in cruelty as he tried to goad the boy into attacking him. It simply wasn't working. Naruto was wearing him down and his teacher was feeling the strain. Sooner or later, Vagrant would come to believe in Naruto's kindness and then it would be over.

The one thing Vagrant never did around his student was lie. As a consequence, the blond was able to read him perfectly. The second Vagrant acknowledged his worth, he would know and then, so would she.

An annoying little noise in her ear suddenly registered and it occurred to her that one of the children was calling for her. A child in a red dress with pink hair talking timidly… but then again, considering that most of the other children were staring at her in fright, maybe she wasn't so timid. "Um… ma'am?"

Since the girl was sitting close to Naruto, Anko decided that she could afford to actually look at her. "Yes, what is it?" she asked abruptly.

The girl hesitated for a few seconds before glancing towards the Itachi's brother and seemingly gaining in bravado what she lacked in actual nerve. "It's just that Mizuki-sensei is still frozen," she revealed.

All four of the visible escorts jumped at that. Come to think of it, the last few minutes had been suspiciously silent. The man still hadn't broken out? Even after she stopped maintaining the technique? That was just pathetic. The four looked at each other and unanimously decided to keep out of it.

Anko looked at the now sweating instructor and back. "You're right. And?"

The pink haired child frowned slightly and tried again. "Well, we still need to finish our lesson."

The special Jounin shrugged. "So? You've got books, so read. If he can't break out of that weak technique by himself then he shouldn't be teaching you anyway,"

"Well…" she now looked insecure. "That may be true, but…"

Unfortunately for the girl, she was totally ignored when the boy two seats to the right opened his eyes.

Naruto sat up slightly and rubbed his right eye. "Why did Mizuki stop talking?" he asked.

Anko seemed to teleport directly in front of him. Coincidentally, her position hid the man from sight. "That's not important," she said. "Does the silence bother you?"

Naruto shook his head. "No… It's Mizuki's voice that I like. It's droning and monotonous, so it helps me fall asleep even faster than the old man's."

"Alright. You just rest your head and I'll get Mizuki to start talking again," she directed.

Naruto was always accommodating when he was sleepy. "Okay…"

He was lightly dozing within a few seconds. By that time, Anko had already forcefully released the instructor with some rather painful moves. She moved back to her seat under the man's terrified eyes.

"Well? Start talking."


	3. Chapter 3

He was certainly odd. With his oversized clothes and lack of actual footwear, he would've looked like a waif if it weren't for his cleanliness. Even though he was barefoot, the undersides of his feet were sporting a healthy pinkish tone. It was like grime wouldn't stick to him.

She remembered him clearly, that boy. He had been part of their class three years before and his unusual appearance was the characteristic she remembered best. Natural blondes weren't exactly common in her native Fire Country and the few exceptions were all platinum blond.

Uzumaki Naruto quite possibly had the most vibrant features in the village.

She didn't know what his voice sounded like and couldn't remember ever talking to him… or seeing him converse with anyone else. He had been as silent as Shino, but unlike the Aburame, it hadn't been because he couldn't find anything to say. He simply had no one to talk to, or no one he wanted to have a conversation with. She kind of doubted the latter. She remembered him because she had identified with him. In those days, before she became friends with Ino, she had dreamed of approaching him or one of the other solitary children, the ones who dwelt on the fringes either by choice or circumstance.

Aburame Shino, who wore that coat and those glasses like they belonged there. Who, despite being alone, never looked like he needed… or wanted company.

Hyuuga Hinata, who avoided interacting with others with strange anxiety.

Sasuke-kun, who never seemed comfortable around anyone.

But above all, she had always wanted to talk to him. Maybe it had just been his appearance, but he had always seemed so vivid.

How could a ten year old boy like that warrant a ninja escort? And it wasn't just any guard. These were undoubtedly the strongest collection of ninja she'd ever come into prolonged contact with. They seemed to be even more dangerous than Ino's father, and he was a Jounin.

But there was something else. What surprised her most was the state of their interpersonal relationships. Sakura was always applauded by her teachers for her observational skill and that ability helped her see underneath the obvious.

There was a certain comfort between them. Either those escorts had been on that assignment for far longer than was normal or the group had a preexisting relationship. The more likely conclusion brought many more questions to the forefront. Why would Hokage-sama allow this? So many skilled shinobi assigned to watch one boy was not only wasteful but it was also foolish. They simply had to be more to this than what she could see.

Uzumaki Naruto. A young boy capable of gathering respect, caring and even love from the exceptional. He was interesting, she would give him that.

But in the end, he still wasn't as cute as her Sasuke-kun.

* * *

The academy's training grounds were simple and efficient. They were designed to survive the process of teaching children to use weapons and explosives to their advantage. There was a reason they looked like barren wastelands. The training area consisted of a stretch of dry, beaten earth with a few targets scattered on a side. The Spartan equipment was a necessity. Anything and everything else would be destroyed within a week, regardless of its size or solidity.

The purely theoretical aspect of the day's lesson had ended, to everyone's great relief. After the lunch period which the group spent at Ichiraku thanks to the absence of an actual meal, it was finally time for the practical application of the curriculum and considering the fact that the instructors/medics weren't going to be doing a whole lot of talking, it was the appropriate time of the day for the students to socialize as a group. During lunchtime, classes segmented into coteries of close friends and any attempt to integrate these cliques would have been seen as an intrusion and rebuffed, subtly or otherwise.

This was how Naruto managed to convince Kurenai that staying at the academy for lunch would've been a waste of their valuable time. The chuunin had been forced to yield to his superior logic and allow him his desired ramen. But now that they were back, she wouldn't allow him to stave off actually talking to his new peers.

Unfortunately for Kurenai, an unexpected factor crept up to dissolve her plans. Namely, one Umino Iruka. Normally, she would've brushed him off with uncharacteristic malice, but he quickly succeeded in disarming her with damnable, logical words.

The possibility of a teacher actually caring about Naruto's education never occurred to any of them. It wasn't that the man had any sort of soft feelings for the blond child… it was just that he was extremely dedicated to his job. Iruka claimed that he could not teach a student without knowing his strength and weaknesses, and he was right.

Even Anko was grudgingly impressed by his professionalism, but the scarred man still brought a new load of problems to the table. When it was revealed that Naruto was considered a combat specialist, Iruka concluded that the most direct way to accurately find these strengths and weaknesses was to witness the blond in combat. Of course, every one of them excepting Naruto had a few reservations about that.

"And what, exactly, do you mean by that?" the skillful teacher inquired loudly. His furious outburst attracted the attention of everyone with ninja training in his vicinity. Since they were in a place where people received such training, most everyone stopped what they were doing in order to pay closer attention to one of their more popular teachers. From the students of Naruto's class, to the older students occupying the nearby training grounds and the younger students still stuck inside the academy, Iruka and the unusual group of ninja surrounding him were now under their overt observation.

The only one affected by this was Kurenai, who suddenly found herself somewhat embarrassed by the whole state of affairs. Unfortunately for everyone involved, that meant she was unavailable and would do little to stop the situation from worsening.

Her efforts would've been much appreciated.

"Exactly what I said, moron! Are you deaf as well as stupid?" Anko yelled as she stood over him threateningly.

Luckily, Iruka was smart enough to know that insulting Anko would've been a bad idea. However, he had no intention of backing down.

"I'll have you know that these children are the pride of Konoha! Several of them are from established clans and have the potential to become Jounin!" he declared with passionate devotion to his students. With that remark, the teacher managed to permanently hook the academy's attention onto the discussion and turn the crowd to his favor.

Anko was either unaware of this or simply didn't care. "Even if they were genius brats from hell like Kakashi and that thrice damned Orochimaru, you still wouldn't be able to draw any conclusions from a fight between them and Naruto," she mentioned with utmost confidence.

"And why the hell not?" Though Iruka was the only one to vocalize this question, it was obviously echoed in the eyes of the onlookers.

Again, Anko was either heedless or oblivious. "Isn't it obvious? It would end far too quickly." She was also more than a little smug. It wasn't quite endearing to the students or the teachers.

Naruto decided to intervene before someone attacked her and she retaliated. "Hey, Anko, it's alright," he reassured. "You don't have to worry about me. I can take them."

The special Jounin appeared a little surprised and saddened by his statement. "Uh… Naruto, it's not you I'm worried about," she revealed.

That simply didn't make sense. She was always worried about him. It was one of her redeeming characteristics and usually made up for the fact that she was crazy. "Huh?"

Right then, Kakashi closed his book and actually looked like he was paying attention to his surroundings. That was it, the world would end.

"She's right," the part-time Cyclops concurred. "You're very dangerous right now. If you fought one of the students, I'm not sure they would recover," he explained worriedly.

The whiskered blond was naturally angered by the insinuation. He glared at the Jounin and vehemently denied his accusation. "Hey! I wouldn't…"

Kakashi held up his hand in a placating gesture and shook his head grimly. Naruto reluctantly decided to hear the man out. "You don't know your own strength," he claimed. "You've only been fighting Vagrant for the last three years and in that time you never learned to hold back, at least not consciously. You would crush them without ever meaning to. You would need to learn to gauge their limits and adjust your strength before you can safely spar with them," the Jounin evaluated expertly and as much as he didn't like it, Naruto decided to take trust in the man's word. Considering the guilty look Anko was giving him, the ex-ANBU was probably right anyway.

Naruto irritably crossed his arms and scowled in a way that a certain kunoichi found particularly endearing. "Then what am I supposed to do? Fight one of you guys?" he asked.

"Anko would never fight you seriously and you would react accordingly. Ibiki and Kurenai aren't combat specialists and I just don't want to," the copycat enumerated.

Curious. Kakashi rarely wanted to do anything other than read his book, but he still should've jumped at the chance to teach his junior some humility. "Why not?"

For some reason, Sharingan Kakashi simply stared at him in silence. Curiouser and curiouser. "I know your abilities inside and out," he finally began to say. "I could probably beat you without the sharingan, but I'd need to use it to feel safe and if I did that you'd force me to expend my chakra supply and I hate chakra exhaustion," he shrugged.

The child had a feeling he wasn't being told everything, but knew that everyone had secrets. "Who then? One of the instructors?" he suggested.

Again, he was shot down but this time he was given the final piece of the puzzle. "No. You need someone as strong or stronger than Vagrant."

Naruto frowned slightly. "Where are we going to find someone like…?" He froze. He knew exactly where to find someone like that. "Wait, you're not thinking…"

The gray haired masked pervert grinned widely as he read the boy's death sentence. "Luckily for us, we happen to have someone who fits in every requirement right here!"

Naruto buried his head in his hands. He could see it. Much pain and humiliation was coming. "This can't be happening," he moaned.

Anko began passing her hand through his hair in an attempt to comfort him, but it wasn't working as much as she'd hoped. There was very little she could do to stop this from happening. The ANBU commander was notoriously single minded. He wouldn't let this opportunity pass him by and they all knew it. Even now, Ibiki was subtly reminding her not to interfere. Unlike Naruto, she wouldn't recover easily.

The captivated spectators simultaneously jumped in alarm as a previously hidden figure landed next to the group. Those who had seen ANBU quickly informed their peers on the identity of the newcomer while the smarter children noted that the group wasn't surprised by the sudden arrival.

"And if I recall correctly, he's wanted to fight you for quite some time, isn't that right?" Kakashi asked rhetorically.

"You are correct, Kakashi-san," Itachi answered.

Naruto stared at the two Jounin blankly, convinced that this was the elder's idea of revenge. If he lived through the day, that bastard would pay. "This day is getting worse every second. Why do you want to fight me so badly?" His annoyance mounted so high that his question came off as a demand and his voice fell into a lower vocal range.

Itachi paid no heed to the insolence and answered the question. "I wish to test my ability," the reply was exactly what Naruto expected and it wasn't enough for him anymore.

"But why me?" he asked. "There are plenty of people stronger."

"The sharingan's abilities lose much of their efficiency against you. If I fight you, I can truly see my own skill. I also wish to know your potential, Naruto-kun."

Surprise, surprise. "Mine?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes, you are powerful and the source of your strength does not lie in your gifts. You do not rely on them as others would. I want to see you follow your path, but you stopped improving a few months ago. That man has nothing left to teach you. He is no longer an adequate tool to neither draw nor judge your potential."

Naruto scowled at the ANBU commander. Suddenly, a fight didn't seem to be avoidable anymore. "Don't refer to people as tools Weaselmask," the boy ordered harshly.

The masked man raised his head and seemed to look down on the shorter boy. The whisker marked child clenched a fist and took a step forward before he could stop himself. It wasn't about humiliation or pain anymore. Weaselmask was goading him and he was doing it rather successfully at that.

"Are you going to stop me?" Itachi asked tauntingly.

It was then that it occurred to him that he'd never heard the teenager exhibit so much perceivable emotion before. He forcefully calmed himself down and loosened his fists. "You're serious, Itachi," it was probably the first time he'd ever said that name aloud.

"Yes, but so are you," he pointed out.

True enough. Naruto glanced towards the self-satisfied bastard and back. "If the pervert's right, you might get hurt," and all it would take was one wrong move. To outsiders, that statement probably seemed like it was more than a little presumptuous but he didn't care. They both knew better. If Naruto won, it would be because his opponent made a mistake.

"I am aware." Itachi actually seemed to be excited. His opponent was reconsidering his decision to fight until he realized that the teenager's excitement was apparently contagious. The blond jinchuuriki smirked ruefully, silently lamenting the loss of his common sense.

Naruto opened his mouth wide and used his lungs to full capacity, projecting his voice to the furthest corners of the school. "Alright then, let's get this over with! Umino-san, you'd better open your eyes wide because this won't happen twice," he advised.

At this signal, the other escorts began herding the witnesses to a safe distance according to their skill level. The instructors could stay outside but all the children had to go back inside the school. The simpletons complained while the smart ones rushed to claim the best seats. They didn't really understand what was going to happen, but they could tell it would be good.

Iruka spoke up before anyone got too far. "Wait a second, who are you and why are you here?" he asked, pointing towards Itachi.

Ibiki, who was the only other active ANBU member, decided to comment. "You might as well; you're off duty and you took your mask with you, so Hokage-sama will most likely assign a new one when you return. Besides, Naruto already used your real name."

"Very well," the uniformed ANBU took his mask off and attached it to his hip. Iruka was immediately struck by the teenager's resemblance to one of his brightest students. "Uchiha Itachi, Konohagakure ANBU, Commander, Naruto-kun's fifth escort."

It didn't even take a second for the wrong person to take notice. The chuunin examiner didn't even get the chance to ask why Konoha's highest ranking ANBU was babysitting a child.

"Nii-san?" The voice managed to carry over the low murmur of the shifting crowd and reach the intended ears. A few seconds later, the boy Naruto had been sitting next to reached his brother. "What are you doing here?" he asked incredulously.

"Sasuke, go with the others."

His younger sibling didn't seem to hear him. "You're going to fight this kid?" Naruto was slightly annoyed by the boy's disbelief. "Why?"

"Sasuke, do as I say."

The boy didn't want to leave without an answer. The blond got the feeling there was something he was missing. It was as if Sasuke couldn't accept the situation. "But!"

"Sasuke!" Itachi's voice was sharper than his brother had ever heard it. The Uchiha heir reluctantly turned his eyes away from his opponent and looked at his otouto, who was immediately enthralled by the intensity he found in the suddenly red orbs. "You're in the way."

Fugaku's second child flinched and lowered his eyes before silently drawing back and eventually turning to enter the academy. Naruto watched him go, suddenly understanding what Itachi had meant when he had talked about his little brother.

"Are you ready?"

He looked away from the closed doors of the school and saw that the area was empty of innocent bystanders. He sighed, thought about what he was doing and why he was doing it.

He was curious. Did Vagrant really have nothing left to teach? If so, what did that mean?

"Itachi, let's see if you're right. Show me something I need to learn."

* * *

Sasuke-kun was brooding and the girls around her were on the warpath. If Uzumaki Naruto had happened to look at their classroom's windows, he surely would've been stunned by the bitterness in their black little hearts and hollow little minds. As it was, he was really much too preoccupied with their idol's older brother to pay any attention to them. She really didn't have a problem with the boy and her best friend Ino didn't either. They had both been close enough to Sasuke earlier to realize that the blond newcomer had little to do with his sour disposition.

Since they couldn't aim their anger at Naruto and couldn't even contemplate treating Sasuke's older brother with anything but politeness, they simply stayed neutral. The only other girl they knew that didn't hold a grudge against the blond was the only girl who wasn't disliked by anyone in the female student body. Of course, that was because she was the only girl with no interest in the class' Uchiha, which was kind of expected. She was a member of the Hyuuga main family and they rarely got along with the Uchiha.

Those three, along with most of the boys, were the only ones capable of feeling some sort of anticipation or anxiety about the coming events. That allowed them to actually consider the events beyond its face value and communicate with their classmates about it. It didn't take long for information about the elder Uchiha to surface.

Uchiha Itachi, age fifteen was a high-ranking member of Konoha's ANBU and the Hokage's private aide. Heir to the clan, he was the strongest Uchiha and one of the best shinobi in the world. From what they could remember of Naruto, he was an unremarkable student. How could he have improved enough to challenge an elite Uchiha in three years? Why exactly was he doing it? Did he want to graduate early?

No matter how much she tried, Sakura couldn't develop any answer that wasn't speculation and it was starting to annoy her. But there was nothing she could do, other than wait and see. She tuned the murmur of the crowd out of her mind and concentrated on the world outside her classroom.

The standoff between the two shinobi had gone on for some minutes before it was broken when the child shook his head and began to jog towards his opponent. The Uchiha's spinning red eyes followed the child's movements carefully as if he was expecting something sudden.

When approximately fifteen feet of distance remained between them, Naruto stalled on a step. When his airborne left foot touched the hardened ground, the blond bent his knees, leaned forward and moved both arms slightly behind his hips. Itachi began to dodge. Naruto blinked out of sight.

An instant later, when her senses could perceive him again, he was in midair and swinging a leg towards his opponent's head. Itachi, who was already out of reach, waited until the naked appendage's momentum moved the right foot past him before moving to counter. As soon as he was able, he drew his ANBU assigned ninjato and swung. Since he'd dodged to his left and was facing the child's back with his vision obscured by the heavily billowing oversized clothes, he couldn't see Naruto duck into a front spin until the blond was already out of range. All his swing had managed to catch was a piece of his white shirt, which was picked up by the wind and wavered away. The marked child landed lightly, turned to his opponent and frowned. He began to walk at a slow pace, keeping a constant distance between them. Itachi followed with his eyes and waited patiently.

In the lull between skirmishes, Sakura took the opportunity to examine public opinion. It didn't take her very long to figure out that they were just as surprised as she felt. The exchange was short, but it firmly established Naruto's speed in their minds. There wasn't anyone in the Academy that could reach comparable swiftness, not even Sasuke-kun or the instructors. Judging by his wide-eyed, almost frantic stare, he was more than aware of it.

Then, she began to feel it. Pressure. Crushing, overwhelming pressure was just beyond the edge of her senses. There was massive chakra just on the rim of her understanding, coming from the two below her, especially the blond. It constricted her blood vessels and stole the ability to breathe from her. The constricted veins increased friction and thus raised her body temperature which was regulated by an increase of sweat. It was very nearly frightening, but at the same time it was exhilarating. Her heart began to pump harder, adrenaline was rushing through her veins and she loved it. A grin hesitantly appeared on her face and she couldn't send it away.

Her ability to sense chakra was very high in her grade level, but Sasuke-kun and a few other combat-oriented students surpassed her in that area. If she could just barely sense it and it felt so terribly powerful, how did Sasuke feel?

Of course, that frantic look of shock… it made sense now. She got the feeling that the pressure wasn't as unthreatening to the others as it was for her. Or rather… maybe they were more attuned to one element of the pressure than the other. The source of the excitement was undoubtedly Naruto, so that meant Itachi was the one who induced fear. That the boy took the full force of_that_ without care was more incredible than anything else.

She watched the faces of her classmates, but only Kiba seemed to be aware of the pressure and still revel in its presence. The grin on his face was near manic and he was shaking from a mix of excitement and fear. That dog of his was hanging on the windowsill and growling enthusiastically. She could tell that a few others were aware but couldn't read them well enough to know what they felt about it.

A shout drew her attention back to the fight just in time to see Naruto flip over Itachi's blade and land near him, still within the Uchiha's line of sight. Both moved simultaneously into a crouch until Naruto kicked out at his opponent's chest but missed as the ANBU launched into the air. A second later, he looked up and promptly disappeared from her sight again as a dozen shuriken peppered the rocky ground, breaking it apart and sending fragments of earth and rock flying.

Sakura felt her eyes widen at the damage wrought by the throwing stars. To cause that amount of damage instead of simply digging into the ground, the weapons had to have either been thrown with great strength or altered with chakra and she doubted it was the former. Altering objects was a high level ability that was not taught at the Academy and altering so many of them was evidence of great control. Sasuke-kun's brother was definitely skilled... but he seemed to be taking things a little seriously. If Naruto hadn't dodged... well, it wouldn't have been pretty.

Another quick look at her side revealed that Ino and a few others had become aware of the pressure, which meant that it was spreading. Ino didn't show much beyond open eyes and a rosy flush, but she didn't seem frightened, unlike some of the other children. A loud impact took her attention from the classroom and she wouldn't pay attention to it again.

* * *

Without chakra, human beings could expect to achieve an absolute upper limit in their rate of motion of around forty-five kilometers per hour or twelve point five meters per second. The fastest ninja on record could reach speeds up to thirty-two times that. The Yondaime Hokage could feasibly travel a hundred meters in a quarter of a second. It took much energy, but he could do it. Of course, his average speed was slowed considerably by his reaction time, the deceleration required by dodging obstacles, the sheer amount of energy required for moving at that speed for any amount of time, the time needed by acceleration, the chakra needed to cushion the shock of abrupt changes in speed, etc. However, the point remained: Whether it was a kunai, explosion or something else, if Namizake Minato could feel it coming, he could dodge it. That became especially true when he created his most famous jutsu.

Ninja were the fastest animals in their weight class. Demons were the only beings capable of reaching similar levels of speed. Naruto knew all of this but the technical aspects didn't interest him. The practical application was something else entirely.

All he knew was that there was nothing like moving at speeds over eighty kilometers per hour away from his opponent, when the cranium was the body part closest to the ground and only barely two feet above it, while sharp instruments of murder were pursuing at twice his velocity.

He hastily thrust his knees towards his chest to complete his back flip and swiftly maneuvered between the thrown shuriken when he landed. They further destroyed his clothes but it was his only viable option other than taking a hit. When the danger passed, they settled down again, giving each other time to think.

Naruto had little to fear, because he knew that Itachi wouldn't attack him. It was very vexing, but he understood his opponent's reasoning. Their little clashes established that the blond jinchuuriki was slightly faster and much more agile than his opponent and even if the Uchiha could reach similar speed, he couldn't keep it up nearly as long as the blond child could. That meant Naruto had a much easier time dodging and maneuvering in close range and would come out on top of any taijutsu exchange, even with the sharingan taken into account.

However, the doujutsu gave Itachi a powerful advantage in counter-attacks. To attack, Naruto was forced to lower his defenses and that gave his adversary an opportunity that he always took advantage of. It would have been different if the Uchiha heir had no weapon, but that sword of his gave him much longer range… at least, while Naruto remained a ten year old boy with short height and small limbs.

Unfortunately, there was a massive disadvantage to shape-shifting into his mature form. Namely, Mitarashi Anko. If he developed within her vicinity… well, he wouldn't be able to escape.

He would've been able to deal Itachi's weapon if he had a weapon of his own, but he rarely carried any even though the old man had given him permission to possess them. His opponent had carefully avoided throwing anything other than shuriken to keep him defenseless.

He could've used the ninjutsu he managed to glean off Justice, but there were a number of inconveniences involved with their usage against this particular opponent. First, the preparation time was way too long and second, the sharingan was just unfair when it came to jutsu. Technically, he could just overpower any jutsu Itachi copied but the teen was definitely aware of it and had doubtlessly adjusted to his strength.

It looked like he would have to use Gehenna's soul. He was always slightly uncomfortable using that particular blood gift against allies, but Itachi could handle it. Besides, the commander was to blame anyway. He had to take responsibility for his actions.

To generate flame away from his body, he needed to concentrate on a fixed target for at least three seconds. Usually, that involved an intent stare that was obvious to those who knew what to expect. In addition, he couldn't relax his face if he wanted to, because couldn't concentrate on two things and still expect to succeed.

Itachi realized what he was doing relatively quickly and dashed forward and out of range half a second before a five foot inferno ascended from his previous location. It dissipated quickly as he lost his concentration and he didn't have time for another burst because the Uchiha was rapidly closing the distance. The teenager wasn't being conservative with his chakra anymore as he was at an obvious disadvantage and needed to end it as quickly as possible.

Naruto quickly molded a dense mass of flame in each hand and threw them near Itachi's feet, where they exploded and spread heat, flame, shrapnel and concussive force. His target was able to deftly avoid the expanded flames and most of the heat but was helplessly knocked off balance by the force of the explosion and struck by the shrapnel. The child would've pressed his advantage if Itachi hadn't exploded into smoke and he was struck in the back hard enough to carry him into the impact craters he'd created seconds before. The blond shook his head and glared at his relocated adversary.

That rotten bastard! Kage bunshin were really annoying. He wanted to learn it like nothing else but no one ever used it where he could see it. How the hell was he supposed to learn anything when everyone avoided using their techniques where he could see them?

Itachi was still standing where Naruto expected him to be, his sharingan spinning bewitchingly. He wasn't pressing his advantage and seemed to have reverted to his previous strategy. For all he knew, that could have been another kage bunshin, but nothing would happen if he just stood there. He opened his right hand and activated Gehenna's soul.

That was a critical mistake.

The electric discharge that followed penetrated his flesh and disabled his control over his muscles. He crumbled to the ground instantly, trembling in pain. It wasn't agonizing enough to impede his thinking process but it restricted his movements to about an inch per second. As he lay on the hard ground having difficulty breathing, with lighting flashing intermittently from one point of his body to another, black standard issue ANBU toeless boots entered his field of vision.

Exercising control over the body parts needed to speak was as hard as anything else he'd ever done. "What… did you do?" he grunted out.

"I designed a six-layer conversion seal designed to block your gift. It absorbs your flame and uses it as fuel to generate the electricity that interferes with your nerves," Itachi's soft voice revealed pragmatically.

Naruto's body stopped trembling. "You stuck… a seal on me?" He needed to make sure.

"Correct."

"I hate… seals… and bindings… you know?" He needed total confirmation.

"It was mentioned to me."

So he had acted with full knowledge. He would have to accept responsibility then. "Good… I don't have to regret this then."

He activated Gehenna's soul and poured all the chakra he could into it. Then, when he couldn't find another drop of energy, he dug deeper and found more. That chakra was probably tinged with blood, but he didn't care. He would not be controlled.

Instantly, the field of electricity around his body broadened and internal damage multiplied. Naruto grit his teeth to resist the urge to howl. Pain caused by lightning wasn't exactly something he had experienced many times before.

Itachi jumped back as soon as he realized something was wrong, but still suffered some mild electrical damage, especially in the legs. He was forced to his knees until the muscle spasms stopped.

When he looked up to his sealed opponent, the boy who became a man somewhere in the last twenty seconds was clutching a slightly singed, crinkled and steaming tag in his right hand. Also, he was glaring at Itachi with more anger than he'd shown for years.

Suddenly, the tag caught flame and basically exploded into a recognizable shape.

"A spear of flame?" the ANBU commander asked.

"A spear?" the tall man asked rhetorically. He shook his head slowly. "No, this…" he motioned towards the flaming weapon. "…is a javelin. Tell me, Itachi. Would you like to know exactly how much flame you stole from me?"

* * *

How did it happen? When? _Why?_ Out of every scenario he'd envisioned and either discarded or painstakingly implemented, this outcome was never even considered. It was just so ridiculous… that such a significant detail had managed to pass by him and completely derail his plans.

He'd failed to attain the pinnacle of Uchiha lore because of it. Itachi didn't know when it happened but he certainly remembered the day it was discovered. He had summoned the one said to be the most skilled member of the clan to a meeting next to the Nakano River with the intention of testing that fabled skill. However, right before he could attack Mirage and test his worth, he realized the truth. Uchiha Shisui was no longer his closest friend.

Somehow, an obstinate little blond bastard with scarred cheeks, a roguish grin and a fantastic lack of aptitude in self-preservation had wormed his way into a place he hadn't even attempted to enter. It was absurd. Neither Itachi nor Naruto had ever extended anything resembling an olive branch to one another so how did the vessel manage to beat Shisui in a competition he'd never even entered?

The blond was either really, _really_ special… or Shisui hadn't been as close to him as he'd once believed. In any case, he'd been forced to put his plans on hold in order to fully examine this most unwelcome of developments. He'd come to an alarming number of conclusions rather quickly.

Firstly, regardless of the vast difference in skill between the then eight year old and the 'strongest' Uchiha, the youth would most likely prove to be the harder kill. Even though most of his blood gifts hadn't fully manifested back then, Naruto's defense was far beyond adequate. A quick kill was pretty much impossible against him. The chances of him surviving until reinforcements arrived were overwhelming.

Secondly, even if he somehow managed to complete the highly unlikely task of isolating the vessel, the quality of his reinforcements was disconcerting. Naruto had almost always been accompanied by Anko, Kakashi or Vagrant. Though Itachi wasn't exactly sure that the old man would interfere if he tried to kill his student, it wouldn't do to take any chances. Besides, the veteran was sure to try and apprehend him after the fact. Vagrant hated Naruto, but he wasn't a traitor.

Thirdly, as the Hokage's highest ranking ANBU, he knew very well how much Sarutobi loved Naruto. There was no guarantee the old man wouldn't try to come to his rescue, regardless of his station. The Third would probably be accompanied by a full contingent of ANBU and Itachi wasn't exactly convinced of his chances when facing him in single combat, let alone in a group.

Lastly, even if he managed to kill Naruto, he couldn't do so without attracting lots of attention. Making a successful getaway was simply impossible. So finally, after months of deliberation, he had decided to follow the one option available to him. Wait and see.

However, as the years went by and the irritating child slowly became a more permanent fixture in his routine, he found himself… hesitating. He had been subtly distancing himself from the affairs of the clan and spending more and more time around Naruto, using various assignments as excuses. He was the first Uchiha to ever become ANBU commander, so the council truly had little idea of what to expect. They dealt with his cold-shoulder on their own and he cared nothing of it. The clan was weak. That was the only thing that didn't change.

He was still undecided. His opponent hadn't thrown the javelin as was expected. That would've been too predictable. Instead, Naruto had run up the Academy's wall until he could jump off the roof. Then, as he hung in upside-down in midair, he released the bindings on his self made weapon and wrapped himself in a veritable conflagration. The inferno was almost as large as the building it hung above and produced enough light to tint everything in sight a menacing crimson. The heat, even at that distance, was almost unbearable. It was getting hard to see and even his sharingan wasn't helping in that respect. Sweat liberally gushed from his skin but was vaporized almost as fast as it left his pores. He was becoming so dizzy that he almost didn't notice when Naruto began floating towards him, spinning slowly and dragging a little fragment of hell behind him. Itachi looked up and locked eyes with a blue-eyed meteor.

Uzumaki Naruto. It's taken him nearly two years of observation and analysis, but he could finally begin to understand him. It was humiliating that it had taken him so long to do what Anko had accomplished in a week.

At first glance, Naruto looked like a fool. He was the loudest excuse of a ninja Konoha had ever attempted to educate. Most took his flashiness as idiocy, because really, what kind of ninja wanted to attract attention?

But the truth was that Naruto had never tried to become a ninja. Even at his youngest, the blond had taken his definition of shinobi from the Sandaime Hokage above all others. Ninja are born and raised in shadows, leaving them is pure folly. And yet, a kage is nothing but the most visible ninja in a village, the ninja most capable of surviving in the light, of hiding what he is in spite of it. It means becoming a master of persona.

Most ninja fail to realize the difference between a persona and a mask. The latter is a lie, a simple illusion. The skilled can easily discern lies from truth so its effectiveness is clearly limited. It is simple; to wear a mask is to manipulate what is directly in front of you. To assume a persona is to manipulate the self.

The day he understood the difference was the day he realized how old the Third was. The man had become weary but he still projected an aura of strength to anyone who looked. That strength was no lie. Itachi knew that anyone who pushed would discover why he had remained Hokage for so long. For Sarutobi, 'Hokage' was a persona, a role, an image he had sworn to uphold.

That was the difference between a mask and an image. A coward who wore the mask of a kage would crumble quickly. A coward with a kage persona was not a coward at all.

Naruto held up the persona of a bright, cheerful child and it held up to scrutiny because that was what he really was, no matter how unbelievable it seemed, no matter how much sorrow he should feel because of his precarious situation. When he seemed happy, he was happy. To a certain degree, he had control over his own emotions. He simply chose to view things from a favorable angle. It stabilized him. It helped him function in society.

It was when that persona faltered that everyone had to watch their step.

When his sorrow overtook him, when his struggle overwhelmed him or when he was simply faced with situations he was not prepared or did not want to face. When that happened, the persona he had decided to dub 'Euclid' was driven back by the wrath of 'Bahamut', named after the sea of fire summoned in those occasions.

Everyone had multiple images, facets of personality that only came up in particular situations. Personas could be triggered by people or places such as loved ones or a workplace.

Naruto was exceptional in that his personas were limited, rigid and disparate. He only had two, they possessed few similarities and he didn't seem inclined to make new ones.

No matter where he was or what he was doing, Euclid was at the forefront. Euclid ate at Ichiraku, he attended the academy and he interacted with new acquaintances and old ones. He was bored, he was happy, he was sad, he was excited. He was young and he was old. He was a surrogate son, a little brother, a beloved and an enemy. Whether Naruto was approached by a King or a pauper, Euclid would meet them.

Euclid was a jack-of-all-trades. He was Naruto's main personality. He was a set of clothes Naruto would wear in any conceivable situation, giving no thought to whether or not it was appropriate.

With the exception of one particular instance, Euclid was Naruto.

Before Itachi could truly put his dreams to rest, he had wanted to face the child in battle for reasons he did not fully understand. He had miscalculated.

He'd forgotten two critical aspects of the vessel's personality. Ironically, Naruto was ethical. Incredibly so considering his upbringing. He believed in the innate worth and dignity of human beings. Additionally, he was unnaturally intuitional. He didn't always need hints to know the truth. Those closest to him didn't always need to speak to be heard. It could be very unnerving at times, such as right then.

Itachi couldn't shake the idea that Naruto was disappointed. That he had judged the worth of the battle and had found it wanting. That the child had bathed in the Uchiha's convictions and emerged unimpressed or even antagonistic. He got the feeling that he was fighting for a cause that was not worth his effort.

It was not a pleasant feeling. It filled him with odd frustration.

Still, Itachi was out of his element and he could only think of one thing to do. He would keep fighting, even though he knew not why. Truthfully, he didn't really need a reason. Dropping his defenses right then would result in certain death.

The ANBU commander took careful note of the fact that the jinchuuriki could use his flames to limit the attraction of gravity as the inferno edged closer and closer. He glanced towards the Academy to make sure that its powerful anti-explosion seals weren't about to be overwhelmed and that his little brother was safely ensconced inside. Judging by the vivid layer of gossamer teal energy surrounding the building and the fascinated faces bouncing beyond, he did not need to worry. The barrier would've flickered intermittently if it had been overtaxed.

Quick observation of his surroundings revealed that the various ninja observing the fight from the training grounds weren't anywhere near him, so he put them out of his mind and concentrated on the launched attack.

Contrary to his every instinct, Itachi knew that weathering Naruto's assault was the most promising path available to him. If he tried to dodge, Naruto would react in a variety of unpredictable ways. He could use kawarimi no jutsu, but that would only increase the distance between them. Since the jinchuuriki started using his blood gifts, the fifteen year old was at a massive disadvantage in ranged combat. He knew more ninjutsu than his opponent, but his stamina wasn't anywhere close. The child could match and counter anything that was thrown at him including most water attacks. Naruto could force them to evaporate long before they reached him.

In any case, Itachi could only use water to damage Naruto with crushing impact or perhaps to suffocate him. Both were impractical. Blunt damage was pretty much useless against the blond's regeneration and suffocation was unlikely to succeed considering the fact that Naruto didn't need to move to attack.

No, Itachi had no choice but to stick with close range combat and the only way to do that was to survive Naruto's shooting star.

The sharingan couldn't copy the jinchuuriki's resistance to flame and heat, but he had figured out the mechanics behind it over a year ago. It hadn't taken him long to realize that unless the boy decided otherwise, nothing organic in contact with his flesh was flammable. In addition, the jinchuuriki's body and organic material in contact with it couldn't go above a certain temperature, regardless of his environment. Even if he jumped in a volcano he could exit without burns and with his clothes intact.

In fact, Naruto usually used his flames to clean himself instead of taking a bath. No matter how dirty he or his clothes were, he could become pristine in a few seconds.

After many months of work, Itachi believed that he could use a variation of the Hyuuga's Hakkeshou Kaiten to imitate the vessel's resistance. It would be a substantial drain on his chakra well but if he coated himself with chakra, he could isolate himself from the flames and if he refrained from spinning, he would lose the defense against impacts in exchange for mobility.

If he was lucky, his gamble would pay off and he'd be able to mount a counter-attack.

If he was lucky.

* * *

After the manmade wildfire meteor hit the ground and predictably expanded to its full volume, time seemed to stall inside the classroom. She didn't know if the other classes were going through similar experiences, but she would be surprised to learn otherwise. She didn't know if the explosion had deafened her, but she couldn't hear a thing. She looked aside the glass panes blanketed with incalescent light to see lips moving frantically with pink tongues wiggling beyond. Alas, the atmospheric vibrations normally attached to such actions didn't appear to reach her mind. Even her inner-voice had gone silent. She couldn't bring herself to care.

While the boys were preoccupied with trying to see past the bright glow of the inferno and marveling at the power and skill displayed a few feet away, the girls were doing something else. They were no less impressed by the combatant's ability than their counterparts, but they were also far more interested in the aesthetics of the battling ninja. Naruto's transformation passed by the male students with little more than increased respect because of his size and strength, but it was much more significant to the girls.

Sakura knew exactly what they were thinking, mostly because their thoughts echoed her own. She'd been struck dumb by the whiskered boy's transformation into his mature form. It hadn't been a henge transformation either; everyone had seen his muscles and bones expand until those clothes of his actually fit. He was beautiful, in a way that was totally foreign to her experiences. Sasuke and his older brother had this sort of boyish charm that was very attractive. They were both pretty and graceful. They were the kind of guys that caused discord because women fought over them.

Naruto was nothing like that. He was tall, muscular, rugged, roguish and handsome. There were many words to describe what the blond looked like, but the one that fit best was 'man'. He was not the type of man that had a multitude of women fighting over them. Not because he wasn't worth fighting for, but because no one sane fought over something that couldn't be won. No one fought over rain or sunlight.

Sasuke could be won. Every girl who pursued him knew it. Naruto was something else, something bigger. What truly shocked her was the fact that everything he would become was present in his childhood form. She just hadn't seen it. None of them had. He had shoved his splendor down their throats and they didn't know how to react.

But it didn't take long for the consequences to rise. Countless girls over the ages had developed crushes or idolized masculine figures around them. Fathers, uncles, teachers, etc. but little ever came of that because those figures were unreachable, far beyond them in every way.

Uzumaki Naruto was just as powerful and virile as their idols… but he was nowhere near as untouchable. After all, he was a classmate, ten years old like the rest of them. Sakura felt the birth of the coming storm and wondered if she was strong enough to survive it.

The fierce glow produced by the blast tinted the interior of the room with its offspring. The red light granted new perspective to everyone with eyes to see and minds to understand. Sakura looked towards her best friend and was reminded that she was beautiful. The light blonde girl stood rigidly, gripping the windowsill and searching the battlefield for answers, her bottom lip held between two rows of pearly whites. She stood no chance of seeing beyond the fire but she would not give up, because her only alternative was to do nothing. She was slightly excited and worried for their wellbeing because she was a spectator, and she could never stand being on the sidelines. If she couldn't implicate herself physically then she would do so mentally and emotionally.

Sakura could remember hearing bedtime stories secondhand and wondering at the passion in Ino's voice. Eventually, she understood that her best friend's storytelling abilities were consequences of the fact that she cared about the characters. More than she probably should. This wasn't fiction, but Sakura could see the signs.

Her gaze would have doubtlessly lingered if she hadn't caught sight of her crush through the throng of students. He was determinedly searching from another window with clenched fists and a tightened jaw. It was kind of odd. She got the impression that he was frustrated, but not at all concerned about his brother's welfare. It seemed that Sasuke-kun suffered from a serious bout of hero worship. It was cute… but somehow, it was also inadequate.

As Academy students, they learned and relearned that no one was invincible, that defeat was always a possibility. Sasuke's lack of worry showed that he hadn't taken his lessons to heart. It was a weakness because he willingly allowed the possibility of being surprised.

She would've continued on that train of thought indefinitely if the wall of flame hadn't begun to recede. In a few seconds, the entire field became visible as the inferno abruptly lost whatever had served as its fuel.

The students located in the fringes of the classroom pushed against their luckier classmates in the hopes of getting a better view. They failed utterly, but succeeded in destroying any comfort the students closest to the windows had enjoyed as they were now painfully pressed onto the hot glass. Still, Sakura did her best to ignore her discomfort and concentrated on the newly cleared battlefield. Aside from a few patches of glowing lava and the destruction of the targets, the barren land employed as the Academy's training field was pretty much intact.

Desolate land was equal to scorched earth, but the same couldn't be said about flesh. Remarkably, both combatants appeared to have endured the onslaught without suffering any trauma. Even their clothes were unscathed. Sakura began to contemplate the idea that the attack was nothing but an elaborate genjutsu, but discarded the thought almost immediately. Some of the details were too incongruous with the possibility.

Itachi was crouching silently on sufficiently cool land, distanced from any patch of molten earth, clutching his blade with one hand and massaging a shoulder with another. His entire body was radiating azure light that likely protected him from the heat, but didn't appear to save him from the explosion's impact. Considering the fact that his current position was many feet from the point of impact, he must have been thrown like a child's rag doll. Sasuke's older brother glanced towards his opponent casually and stilled unnaturally.

Sakura could understand his distress. The whiskered blond certainly made for a threatening sight.

His mature form stood tall, over a foot taller than the almost five and a half foot fifteen year old and almost bulging with muscles. He was broad-shouldered, impassioned, skilled and inherently immune to heat. Additionally, the flaming weapon effortlessly clenched in his right hand looked sharp and incredibly imposing. The weapon consisted of a six foot steel pole with a small dagger on one end and a curved single edged saber on the other. The polearm that she recognized as a guan dao was glowing white hot and cloaked in dancing flames that dared not rebel against their master. It was magnificent.

"No way!" The sound of her best friend's whisper reached her without trouble. Her surprise was obvious, even to those who didn't know her.

Curiosity had held her under its thrall since she was old enough to understand the concept. She turned away from the stalled battle and questioned Ino on what she found surprising to the point that it required vocal expression.

The Yamanaka scion continued staring in amazement but wasted no time in responding, though full sentences were beyond her current capacity to concentrate. "The weapon! Sakura, the shuriken!" she exclaimed.

It took a moment for her to understand. Suddenly, her eyelids flew open and her head jerked towards the window. She could find no trace of the throwing stars Itachi had used earlier during the fight.

She had been too absorbed with the glaive's beauty to wonder where it had come from. Now that she thought about it, Naruto definitely could have used the polearm to defend himself against Itachi's ninjato so he couldn't have carried it on him back then.

The only logical explanation was that he had forged it using the steel of Itachi's shuriken, while everything was covered in his flames.

Naruto raised his arm and pointed his weapon towards his opponent. The teenage ANBU readied his blade and charged.

* * *

Mitarashi Anko's grin was so wide that it must have been painful but the special Jounin showed no signs of being aware of her own discomfort. That's not to say that its size was inappropriate, since it was doubtlessly difficult for a single smile to express the sheer diversity of emotions going through her. Lust, pride, worry and devotion crept through her psyche of their own volition, dashing out of hiding places without warning.

Remarkably, the many diverse emotions did not war against one another as they normally would have, but instead pushed the dangerous woman towards a single path.

Kurenai smiled wistfully as she observed her visibly excited companion. It was the most amazing of her younger friend's characteristics. When it came to Naruto, Anko was rarely indecisive. She could push her entire being into following a path with no doubts and no regrets. She was a woman in love and she couldn't care less if anyone disapproved.

It hadn't taken as long as she had initially thought it would for her to get used to the idea of a twenty-two year old woman being in love with someone twelve years her junior. In fact, she was certain that it stopped being so weird the day she got to know Naruto.

Incidentally, that was the day she began to hate Vagrant.

In any case, there was a topic she needed to bring up before it was too late, and Anko was the one most likely to offer her assistance. The currently distant and bemused kunoichi was sitting on an appropriated vantage point, a thick tree branch with few leaves and a suitable view of the ongoing battle. Kurenai could barely see the Copy-ninja on a lower branch, lamenting the loss of his seat and nursing his side. Anko hadn't been particularly gentle when she stole his seat and Kakashi's uncovered sharingan hadn't saved him.

Kurenai landed next to her friend soundlessly but with no delusions of being undetected. The chuunin knew that she only had a brief window of opportunity to explain her movement before her presence was ignored, or worse, resented.

She spoke quickly. "Anko, shouldn't we stop them? I mean, Umino-san must have at least some idea of Naruto's abilities by now… and they're getting a little too worked up for comfort."

The special Jounin slowly shook her head to show her nonchalance. She didn't take her eyes away from the battlefield but she did turn her head towards the illusionist, which was more than anyone other than Naruto could've hoped for. "Nah, it's alright. Itachi values his life too much. He won't try anything that can't be dealt with and Naruto's not the type to die by accident. We might as well let this die out naturally. They're almost done anyway," she pointed out cheerily.

Kurenai was untroubled by the unspoken promise in her friend's words. Every member of Naruto's escort was perfectly aware of Anko's feelings concerning Naruto's safety. Whoever managed to hurt the jinchuuriki would die soon after, unless the boy intervened. "But what about Itachi? Suppose Naruto lands a blow?"

Anko's happy expression dimmed as she contemplated the spar's likely ending. "Not likely. Itachi's not taking any chances and Naruto's holding back again. He's not being as aggressive as he could be. Of course, he'd probably call it playing fair or say that his heart wasn't into it, but Itachi won't see it that way."

Kurenai sighed and rubbed her forehead. She knew what this was about and she wasn't entirely convinced of the validity of Itachi's judgment. She had been present when Anko confronted Itachi about his desire to fight Naruto and she remembered the ANBU's analysis of Naruto's training and progress. It had been detailed and accurate but drew somewhat suspect conclusions from the information. However, Anko hadn't complained so she had kept her misgivings to herself. The snake sannin's ex-apprentice may have been younger than her, but she was higher ranked for a reason.

The chuunin's attention was redirected towards the brawl below as the sounds of impact intensified. The intermittent clanging of parries and blocks stepped up as Itachi replaced his previous evasions with skillful parries in order to ration his stamina. The fight was reaching its end. Itachi would either mount an attack or lose through inaction.

The tall shinobi below skillfully alternated between quick, precise thrusts with his weapon's spearhead and powerful sweeps with the bladed end that couldn't be blocked or parried. Kurenai was reminded that while Vagrant may have been a horrid human being, he was a senior ANBU for a reason. The man was very skilled and one only needed to watch the reflection of his skill perform to realize that. In terms of technique, the student and the teacher were nearly identical.

Of course, the words 'student' and 'teacher' were relative, since Vagrant did nothing that could actually be called teaching. The aged ANBU simply fought and Naruto learned through acute observation and mimicry. He was like a child who copied the movements of the lips, tongue and throat of his parents to learn speech. The parents didn't really teach anything, they just acted.

Eventually, it became apparent that Naruto's extreme ability in mimicry was a side-effect of his shape-shifting blood gift and that it was actually far more effective when he was in the appropriate borrowed form. It was easier for Naruto to mimic Anko's techniques when he was in a facsimile of Anko's body. If he could use a technique in one body he could use it in all of them.

Unfortunately, since Naruto didn't know what Vagrant looked like under that mask of his, it took him three years to learn the ANBU's techniques. Itachi was right about that one thing; Vagrant had little else the boy could learn.

Naruto's polearm technique was complex and effective. It relied heavily on a variety of stances from which he could quickly stab towards his enemy and was supplemented by powerful attacks using the large blade or nimble legs. The inherent complexity of the technique became apparent when it came time to choose the appropriate stance for the situation and swap between positions without losing the advantage.

Itachi barely managed to duck underneath a kick in time to notice a flaming pike rapidly approaching from the underside of the lifted knee. It took every ounce of strength in his increasingly strained muscles to lift his blade and force the weapon away from it's destination with a blinding shower of sparks. When he opened his eyes again, he realized that his opponent was now using his raised leg as a fulcrum and the guan dao as a lever. When he pulled mightily near the spearhead, the bladed end passed through the earth below like it was steam.

The ANBU commander hastily leapt to the side and overshot the ideal landing point by several meters. His control was beginning to slip.

It will hopefully go keep his sanity company.

Kurenai shook her head. "It was supposed to be a simple spar…" she lamented. She was beginning to understand why exactly Naruto had thought all this was a bad idea.

Anko laughed heartily. "Maybe, but you know Itachi. Defeat is unacceptable."

Her crimson eyes narrowed as Itachi used an armored gauntlet to parry a thrust from his crouched position and swung at Naruto's calves. The blond turned his dodge into a reverse roundhouse kick followed by a powerful swing and continued pressing his advantage. And what a sizable advantage it was. Itachi was now completely outclassed in close combat. The constantly shifting glow of the flamed polearm severely limited the sharingan's forecasting. The commander was on the defensive and biding his time.

The illusionist shook her head in disappointment. She still couldn't understand him. "For someone who willingly avoids interacting with the Uchiha clan, Itachi follows its doctrine a little too closely," she pointed out.

Anko shrugged. "He's not wrong you know," she said, before she paused and amended her statement. "At least, not totally."

Kurenai stared at him for a long moment before sighing. "I noticed. Naruto's self-worth has taken a hit. It's like he goes into every battle expecting to lose." It was almost physically painful. He was a good person… and he tried. So very hard. One only had to hang around after one of Vagrant's sessions to understand.

Even so, the special Jounin dissented. "I wouldn't go that far. He's very aware of his worth, just not in relation with others," she explained. "It's not that he underestimates himself, not really. He just overestimates everyone else. He doesn't go in expecting to lose, but he does go in expecting a challenge. He has always believed in himself, but he needs others to believe in him. He needs positive reinforcement from as many different sources as possible and increased exposure to peers."

Of course, it made more sense now. "Anko, did you ask Hokage-sama to send Vagrant of that mission?"

The answer was immediate. She must have been expecting the question. "No… but I did speak to him about this. The Third came up with the idea by himself."

She should have known. She should have helped. They'd been static for far too long. It was high time they made a move, regardless of Naruto's wishes.

And then the earth was cracked asunder by the force of eleven shadows with carmine eyes bursting from its depths. The multiple copies moved to intercept the vessel, but he was closer to the original than they were to him. The whisker marked shinobi closed the distance as Itachi raised his blade over his head. He put on a burst of speed and entered uncomfortably close range. Before he could violently shove the burning hot shaft into Itachi's midsection, he noticed the hilt of Itachi sword a few inches from his face and closing in.

Since he was over a foot taller than Itachi, his dash brought his head right next to it. Just as he decided to take the hit and attack regardless, the sword exploded into smoke and revealed another six layer conversion seal.

Naruto's eyes widened comically as he could only stare in shock. The rectangular piece of paper struck him over the eyes and stuck to his skin, blinding him and discharging electricity into his body. The fire coating his weapon abruptly disappeared as it fell from his twitching fingers. A second later, the eleven clones stuck him with eleven additional seals on different points of his body.

He crumpled to the ground just as Itachi fell to a knee and deactivated his bloodline limit, breathing heavily. There was silence. The ANBU commander was the winner.


	4. Chapter 4

It's incredible, really. I get distracted waaay too often.

Volgin: Stop nagging. It's annoying.

SeikoTuNeR: Sakura has always been mature for her age... except when she's dealing with Sasuke and I suspect that the immaturity she displayed was exacerbated by her falling out with Ino. It hasn't happened here, so I thought it would fit.

Everyone else: Thank you for the encouragement and reviews. Did I mention how much I love reviews? I probably shouldn't... but I can't help it. Those numbers make my day damn it!

By the way, if you notice any mistakes, don't be afraid to point them out. You'd be doing me a favor.

* * *

It was utterly ridiculous. What could the Hokage be thinking? 

A shinobi with that kind of ability, ten years old or not, should have received his license and been thrown onto the battlefield with wild abandon. Theory served a purpose, but it came as a distant third to actual practical qualities and fortitude! Regardless of anyone's feelings about him, the fact remained that Uzumaki Naruto could fight and fight well. Any information he needed to know could be taught during mission briefings. In truth, the theory he taught at the academy was insignificant. Its only practical use was to train the student's minds so that they could retain more accurate information for longer periods of time. In his class, Haruno Sakura could eventually become a brilliant spy or medic.

When the young vessel's escort informed him that their charge was a combat specialist, they had led him astray. The nine-tails' vessel was certainly not a combat specialist.

The Inuzuka, the Akimichi, the Hyuuga and the Uchiha were chock-full of combat specialists, but that didn't mean a damned thing. Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Neji both fit into the term, but Uzumaki Naruto was something else entirely. Simply put, if the little urchin who couldn't be anything other than the Fourth Hokage's close relative were to defect from the village, he would undoubtedly be classified as an S-Rank missing-nin.

Of course, since Naruto hadn't actually graduated from the Academy, they couldn't exactly do that but that didn't really matter.

He would bet his entire life savings that Morino Ibiki had compiled an extremely detailed file on the boy, chronicling his abilities and development and he wouldn't be too surprised if some other village had also inserted him in their bingo book, regardless of the fact that he wasn't an active ninja.

Shinobi with that kind of strength inevitably became legends and had their existence attached to lofty monikers. The vessel was too strong. He had no place in the Academy. There was nothing they could teach him, and there was no common ground between him and the other students for them to develop any kind of meaningful relationships. He was wasting his time.

Iruka slowly rubbed his coarse scar as he moved past animated classrooms and busy hallways. Students of various age and gender excitedly rushed through the hallways, taking advantage of the chuunin faculty's absence to do as they pleased. They rambunctiously sought out friends and relatives in order to gossip about the recent events. Though he ached to direct the children into their respective places and restore order, he couldn't do so in good conscience. Not when their elders reacted in much the same manner.

He couldn't help but grimace at the memory. Their behaviour had been undignified, galling even. His fellow staff members deserted their hiding places and reached the victorious Uchiha before the dust scattered by Uzumaki's collapse had even settled. They then proceeded to congratulate the village's ANBU commander on his 'magnificent triumph' while degrading the child's skill.

'The brat's not that tough after all,' one had commented with a harsh glare towards the unconscious shinobi.

'You sure showed him!' another had declared.

Iruka held no lost love for the jinchuuriki, but he could respect effort and determination. Naruto's technique had undoubtedly been acquired after countless hours of gruelling practice. He didn't know who taught him, but the boy had obviously put much effort into it. The boy must have trained single-mindedly since he left the Academy.

Not only did his fellow chuunin disrespect that effort, they also callously disregarded the obvious respect the two shared. Never mind the fact that the kid was stronger than any of them by several orders of magnitude and therefore deserved some measure of respect.

Yet they could only look on confusedly as Itachi totally ignored their presence to join his team-mates in caring for object of their scorn. His colleagues' pettiness had been contemptible and since everyone in the know had been occupied and unlikely to answer his questions, he had decided to slip away to the teacher's lounge and cool his head.

As the guileless chuunin reached his destination, he glanced around the dynamic pathway before opening the door. At least the students took care to avoid physical contact with him, even if they didn't extend the same courtesy to their peers.

"Ah, Iruka-kun! I was waiting for you!"

The man in question jerked his head to the source of the greeting and bowed even as his eyes widened.

"Hokage-sama!"

* * *

Naruto winced painfully as another of the seals was pulled off. He glared balefully at the clear sky above as he lay onto the uncomfortable soil. Unfortunately, this was one occasion where his regenerative ability worked against him. It couldn't possibly allow him to remain blissfully unconscious until those damned seals were off him, no! He had to regain consciousness right in the middle of the process and sit helplessly as Kurenai, and to a lesser extent Anko, ripped them off… along with half his skin. 

Truthfully, the pain was a mere inconvenience. He was more than used to it, after all. What really bothered him was the fact that Anko was sneaking a grope every other second. He'd tried to tell her that he wasn't a free buffet and that he didn't need a massage, but she'd just smiled and carried on regardless of his disapproval.

The flustered blond, desperate for a way to ignore the wandering hands, moved his gaze around the training grounds until he caught sight of the impassive Uchiha crouching a few feet away. His features unconsciously twisted into a scowl. Since his flame had been separated between the multiple seals and the majority had been removed, the remaining conversion seals didn't have enough power to impede his speech so he had no problem opening his mouth and letting his opinion be known.

"Oi, Weaselmask! Are you ever going to stop being a thick headed idiot and go see the school medic? Or am I going to have to get up and drag you there myself?" he yelled.

The dozen or so chuunin surrounding them erupted with loud exclamations of scorn and contempt that he ignored completely. In any case, they were abruptly and violently silenced as Anko finally stopped molesting him and stalked towards them. The chuunin scattered as she gave chase and the rest of them ignored the entire sequence.

Kurenai looked up and questioned his words as she worked on pulling the last seal of his leg. "Naruto, I don't think Itachi should leave just to take care of a few bruises. We are on a mission… no matter how informal and relaxed we may seem," she explained gently.

Naruto snorted in derision, both at her evaluation of Itachi's injuries and the supposed 'mission'. "If he'd only gotten bruised I wouldn't even have thought about it. Nah, if I mentioned it, it's because he's done something spectacularly stupid, as opposed to his normal everyday stupidity."

Kakashi flipped another page of his book and decided that he could afford to join in the conversation. "Naruto… you really need to learn to act with at least some tact." The indispensable advice of the Copy-ninja. Naruto wondered if he should take notes.

The shape-shifted man snorted again, except louder and sharper somehow. "I wouldn't talk if I were you, masked pervert. In fact, if I was you, I'd feel a lot worse than I do now, but that's kind of off topic," Kakashi actually looked vaguely offended, but he was on a roll and couldn't press his advantage. "There's no way you didn't notice. You allowed the idiocy to take place unchallenged which makes you just as dim as him. Besides," he added with a grin. "It's not like he can respond without revealing himself, so there's really no point in me holding my tongue."

He moved his head back in time to let a shuriken pass by harmlessly and smirked in Itachi's direction. "No point at all," he enunciated precisely. Black eyes flickered to red as Itachi prepared to rise to his challenge.

Unfortunately, a certain genjutsu specialist wouldn't allow them to do as they pleased. His beautiful self-appointed and unofficial foster mother reached for his thigh and pinched, hard. For some reason, he could never seem to shrug off pain when it was administered outside of combat and by people he genuinely liked. In fact, he was pretty sure it actually hurt more than it should.

Kurenai had discovered this along the way and took ruthless advantage of it.

"Naruto," he couldn't help but wince at her curt tone. "Stop antagonizing Itachi."

Now, normally this was where he would've folded, because winning an argument was never worth alienating a friend. However, this time, he could easily win the argument by bringing her over to his side. "Nice lady, don't you think it odd that Weaselmask hasn't said a word throughout all this?" he suggested slyly.

She wasn't impressed. "You can stop dancing around the subject."

Yikes, she certainly wasn't willing to cooperate today. Suddenly, this whole Academy thing was becoming way more trouble than he was willing to deal with. It was long past time for him to vacate the premises. Luckily, Anko was otherwise occupied, Ibiki was somewhere else and Itachi had handed him the perfect distraction.

"Alright, alright… Itachi needs to go see a medic-nin as soon as possible," he claimed soberly. "He could get infected if he insists on being so stupid."

Kurenai's distinctive eyes narrowed in concern. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

Hmm… she looked harried. He should probably avoid her for the next few days until she calmed down. "Remember when I plowed that huge fireball into him with grace and power? He looked fine when it dissipated, right?" He waited until she nodded to deny her affirmation. "Well, he wasn't. Genius here decided that if he could protect his body with chakra, then my fire was entirely harmless. What an idiot… ow!"

"Get. On. With it."

"Okay! Just because he can survive contact with flame doesn't mean he doesn't need to breathe anymore. To make things worse, the impact must have driven his breath out of him. So he didn't have the time or the desire to think about what he was doing. Can you guess what happened?" Judging by the way she was eyeing the silent Uchiha, she most certainly did. "He opened his mouth and took a breath of fresh, tasty, blistering air. He doubtlessly thought to keep the flames out, but that didn't make the air itself any cooler. It probably seared its merry way all the way down to his lungs, pillaging and ransacking all it found in its way, tongue, throat, and vocal cords included!" He enumerated with elaborate flourish.

Unfortunately, his histrionics went right above the heads of his spectators, but that didn't bother him too much. After all, the two Jounin were concerned with weathering Kurenai's rant and wonderment at their stupidity with their pride intact. He had warned the masked pervert that willful inaction was just as bad as the actual act.

Naturally, sneaking away at that point was pathetically easy. All he had to do was avoid actually sneaking away. Any attempts of subterfuge would be detected instinctively by every skilled ninja in range, but ordinary actions would pass right over their heads. So he simply got up and nonchalantly walked away, while making sure to avoid entering Anko's field of vision. He wasn't about to jeopardize his freedom on the assumption that the special Jounin was too busy to notice him. In her case, it was rarely ever so.

After a few moments of tense but uninterrupted travel, Naruto decided to label his escape as successful. He closed his eyes and focused on his innate form until his physical shape morphed to an exact match.

He kept his eyes closed even after his transformation was completed. Now that he had more time to think, he quickly came to the conclusion that he didn't have anything to do. Justice was out of town and training by himself wouldn't achieve much of anything. It was odd. He'd done so much training in the last three years that he hadn't made any time to do anything else. Now that he couldn't actually train anymore, he felt somewhat insecure and… lost.

He had escaped because the situation made him uncomfortable, but being alone and directionless was far more awkward. He had even begun contemplating going back when he realized that this was exactly what the old man had planned and of course, he wasn't about to give the kage the satisfaction. So he just opened his eyes and walked without a destination in mind.

He walked forward, one step at a time. That was all he could remember of his journey, aside from the sights and sounds of a village in motion. Throughout his exploration, he was continuously struck the excitable countenances of the many civilians and the considerable length of time since he last walked among them. He loved people-watching, but he could only do it when they weren't aware of his presence. Luckily, he'd gotten a lot better at blending into crowds. They wouldn't notice him if he didn't want them to, even with his handicap.

Considering the fact that it was a national holiday, he could understand their anticipation, at least rationally. However, in his experience, good and bad things happened spontaneously. He had never gotten to anticipate many things and consequently hated to wait for anything. But then again, maybe that would change. The old man had convinced him to hang around instead of hightailing it into the forests. Now that he thought about it, he probably shouldn't have evaded his escort. After all, it was a dangerous day to be Uzumaki Naruto.

It was the first day of the New Year on the new calendar. It was October 10th on the old one and the second date on the bastard fox's official and false obituary.

It was also the day his mother, father and a vast number of his father's people lost their lives. It was the day his humanity became ambiguous and the day he first thrown on his path.

It was his birthday. He had finally entered the realm of double digits. Every one of his fingers had been claimed by a year. What worried him was the fact that he didn't feel any different from the day before. He wondered if that was normal.

Suddenly, after a few hours of surreptitiously sightseeing around the village of his birth and eying his father's immobile face melancholically, he stopped. It looked like he'd reached his destination.

They'd managed to isolate him from the flow of the crowd while keeping their actions from his awareness. It was only a matter of time until the civilians noticed him, but they wouldn't do anything. Not in the presence of these fellows.

There were five of them. Imposing figures with achromatic hair and eyes, harsh features and overbearing personalities, wearing loose clothes made with quality navy cloth. If they were to turn around, he would doubtlessly see a red and white fan denoting their membership to an exclusive organization.

It was the Uchiha military police.

"Uzumaki Naruto," one of the Uchiha said as he took a step closer. The blond in question instantly designated him as the group's leader.

In the next instant, several villagers jerked in their direction and he had a hard time repressing his sigh. The policeman took his short silence as a sign to continue. "You are to accompany us to headquarters concerning the events that occurred earlier today at Konoha's ninjutsu Academy. Do not try and resist, or we will use force."

They didn't look happy. He crossed his arms and decided to bide his time. If he was lucky, the others would find him before it was too late and he was forced to act. One thing was for sure, there was no way he was following them anywhere. The old man had warned him about this. If he ever had troubles with the law, he should wait until the ANBU arrived. The military police didn't enter the process at any point.

He raised his blue eyes and watched the stoic policeman for a moment before deciding to fish for information. "What am I being charged with?" he asked.

"Aggravated assault," was the response.

Naruto barely held back his snort. "Against who?"

"That information is classified. For the victim's protection," he claimed.

The bullshit was so acute that Naruto instantly lost any desire to cooperate. It was an incredibly obvious attempt at a cover-up and yet, by the outraged expressions of the visible civilians, they were swallowing it raw.

He hid a grimace. The quintet was obviously counting on the populace's support to force his compliance. He would have to tread carefully. "Victim? Protection? Yeah right. Not only did we both agree to the spar, but Itachi also kicked my ass. No, you're just trying to save face because your little golden boy got pressured in public by someone who's not even a genin yet!" he shouted, making sure that everyone could hear him clearly.

Justice spent most of their training time trying to cause him grievous bodily harm. Insults were a large part of the package and Naruto had learned a thing or two.

One of the policemen obviously took exception to that. He threateningly stepped closed and yelled, "Watch your mouth, brat!"

The blond smiled. "Oh? Hit a nerve did I?" he mockingly asked the youngest looking Uchiha. The group rookie was always immensely useful to everything and everyone but the group itself. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I understand your apprehension. It must be disconcerting when someone you recognize as simply better than you has trouble with anything, let alone what he's supposed to be the best at." He empathized with that young man. Really. "But you know, I would have thought it obvious that the whole 'Uchiha is best' bandwagon you're all attached to was heading for a cliff and jagged rocks. I mean, there's no doubt that some of your clan members are skilled, but you're all acting like an Uchiha is stronger than any shinobi except a stronger Uchiha. Look," Naruto behaved as if he was looking for eavesdroppers and ignored the hundred or so villagers staring at him in shocked (or was that appalled?) silence. "You didn't hear this from me," Obvious lies aren't really lies, right? "But I have it on pretty good authority that some people think that makes you a little pretentious… or was that conceited? Arrogant? Weak? All of the above?"

The thought that his last comment may have been a little too mocking crossed his mind as he dodged the toeless boot and folded the enraged rookie around his fist. It wasn't exactly hard. Not only did the rookie leave himself wide open, he also failed to activate his sharingan. Without that crutch, the policeman was unable to react to Naruto's superior speed and received the blow without preparing himself. That, coupled with the fact that Uchihas generally lacked toughness as a direct result of their sharingan enhanced dodging skills and Naruto's own lack of control over his strength, meant that the strike actually managed to knock the man unconscious.

Naruto looked at his KO'd opponent incredulously. "Oh come on," he complained as he nudged the insensate policeman with his foot. "I barely even touched you! You practically ran into my fist!"

"Uzumaki Naruto," The boy noticed that the other four had made their way closer and were posturing threateningly. Unlike their fallen comrade, all eight irises were painted in baleful crimson. "Assaulting a police officer is a felony!" Ringmaster sounded noticeably aggravated. He also didn't seem to notice that he hadn't actually said anything more than a statement.

The blond shrugged and waved dismissively. "What's your point? Rookie attacked me. I defended myself. Successfully I might add," added he with a grin.

"You dare!" yelled the Uchiha to his right.

Naruto ignored the other three and focused on the Ringmaster. He shoved his hands in his pockets and glared up into the slowly spinning eyes. He immediately felt a genjutsu attempting to ensnare him and wasted no time in unweaving it. Just because he didn't like using illusions didn't mean he couldn't defend himself against them. "Let me explain in a way you're sure to understand. If I were really in trouble, the Hokage would've sent his ANBU to retrieve me, like he always does. You guys don't enter the process at any point. You're out of your jurisdiction. You hold no power over me. This guy attacked me and I reacted as I was taught to react. No more, no less. If he was weak enough to let himself get beat up then that's your problem, not mine."

Ringmaster was eyeing him in a conspicuously careful manner. He must have noticed his genjutsu's failure. "You are a civilian and the military police holds dominion over any issues concerning them," he claimed.

"Ha!" It was funny. Really. "Me? A civilian? I haven't ever been a civilian. Besides, what makes a shinobi? Is it a forehead protector, a piece of paper or ability? Are you so ready to claim that one of your own was defeated by a civilian?" Didn't that defeat the entire purpose of covering up his fight with Itachi?

When he saw that his leader was hesitating, the Uchiha to his right decided to intervene. "Enough talk. Accompany us or face the consequences." Ah, the ultimatum. The end of every successful negotiation.

Naruto shook his head in exasperation. "Tell you what. If I manage to beat all four of you or survive until reinforcements get here, you'll recognize my status as a shinobi, even if I'm not currently allied to Konoha." Four on one weren't bad odds. Really. He'd be fine as long as they weren't on Kakashi's level. In any case, there was no way they could incapacitate him. Plus, they couldn't use destructive jutsu because of the surrounding civilians. The old man would clear things up and he'd be fine. As long as he kept his strength in check.

Really.

* * *

He was fucked. 

The birthday boy was crouched behind a fully loaded fruit cart, sporting a number of rapidly fading bruises and desperation that only surfaced when he was feeling outmatched. It was a feeling he was very much familiar with, so it wasn't impeding his thinking process too much.

In a way, he hadn't been wrong. When evaluating individual abilities alone, he was far above them in most areas. In fact, that difference in skill was the only reason he was still in fighting condition, even with his healing abilities. Automatically regenerating flesh and bone was incredibly useful, but it didn't allow him to walk with broken bones. If he lost any mobility here they'd be able to inflict damage faster than he could heal it.

The real challenge involved in defeating his four opponents laid in their teamwork. One wouldn't expect it when confronted with their personalities, but the truth was that the members of the Uchiha clan, and to a lesser extent the Hyuuga clan, had the potential to become massive assets in any team requiring a large aptitude in field tactics.

The sharingan and the byakugan allowed their users to retrieve large amounts of information at an extreme rate and therefore increased the time available for analysis. That was the reason most doujutsu users seemed smarter than their peers when in time sensitive situations such as combat.

It was unfortunate, but because of their arrogance, most Uchiha could only reach their full potential when working with other Uchiha and thus continuously and mistakenly entertained the notion that their teammates were to blame for the loss in effectiveness rather than their own inability to explain themselves and yet still expect others to see their meaning. Their smug disdain for other shinobi was self-perpetuating.

Naruto could ruefully admit that tangling with an experienced team of sharingan wielding ninja hadn't been his greatest idea, but he wasn't going to give up. It was kind of fun, if frustrating.

The Uchiha police squad's level of coordination was nothing short of phenomenal. Since there was no rule stating that the sharingan's precognition was limited to an enemy, his opponents shamelessly used it to keep an eye on one another. In practice, that meant a minimum of two Uchiha interfered with his every attempt at offense while the others kept on the attack. And as every adversary was armed with collapsible steel batons, they were able to attack without opening themselves to counterblows. Even with his speed, he couldn't do anything other than graze them. If he wanted to have a chance at victory, he would have to disarm them.

The battle was taking place within a relatively wide circle of jeering merchants and villagers, who didn't attempt to hide their cheer at his upcoming loss. He didn't often fight with an audience, but he wasn't about to let insults and shouts distract him.

The quartet of military police officers who currently served as his opposition was crouched in the middle of the street on the other side of his makeshift shield, though wood and soft, pliant fruit wouldn't protect him from anything other than their eyesight.

It just so happened that these particular opponents' greatest asset lied in their exceptional visual faculty.

Naruto took a deep breath, braced himself to dull crippling pain signals, took hold of the heavy fruit cart and pushed it with all his strength. The shrill cry of a merchant pierced through the roar of the crowd and was subsequently ignored. The mischievous blond made a mental note to avoid all merchants for the next few months as he weaved through multicolored orbs in search of targets.

Unfortunately, his ploy to negate the sharingan's advantage by covering his movement with flying foodstuff was ultimately foiled by the fact that his opponents we not, as he had assumed, simply waiting for him to come out of hiding. Or rather, they were no less prepared to deal with his attacks now than they were when he was in plain view.

The whiskered child cried out as a lemon hit his face and burst apart. The spongy fruit itself did no damage, but the acidic liquid it contained seeped into his eyes and utterly ruined his entire day.

He really hadn't expected them to use the damn fruit against him.

Of course, he had no doubt that the stinging liquid would soon be accompanied by a crescendo of percussions as he was beat like a drum and he wanted no part of any of that. Since he had no idea where he was going, there was only one place he could go that would offer him relative safety.

Naruto crouched and used his leg muscles to their fullest capacity to throw his sensitive body out of harm's way. Before he even reached the apex of his flight, he summoned flame into his eyes to burn every trace of the offensive intrusion out of his system. Once that was complete, it only took a moment for him to regain full use of his eyes.

As his self-induced flight entered its downward stretch, he twisted his body to face towards his opponents but before he could accurately map out the police squad's position, he caught sight of something incongruous a few feet below and became completely fixated on it, to the exclusion of everything else. He recognized that it was quite the stupid thing to do while in freefall above multiple enemies, but he couldn't help it.

On the roof of a one-story building stood Kakashi, who looked far more injured than he did earlier. His clothing was sporting a multitude of tears and rips and his only visible eye was swelling noticeably. He would've wondered what happened to him if he hadn't seen a bound and gagged Anko lying at his feet. Aside from the obvious restraints, the special Jounin didn't have a hair out of place.

Surprisingly, the sight of his two caretakers wasn't what occupied the majority of his attention. That honor was reserved to the huge cardboard sign Kakashi was holding above his head and the legible phrase that was written on it in large inky letters.

It read: 'What does the shinobi village do when infested with many spies?'

Naruto landed in a crouch beside a concrete wall, sporting a look of such obvious confusion that his opponents hesitated in pursuing their attack. A few actually took a few steps back before searching the rooftops for the thing that had stolen his concentration.

Though there were only four of them, Naruto couldn't have told anyone how many Uchiha stopped paying full attention to him as he was still concentrating on Kakashi's sign. A hand unwittingly entered his blond hair and started scratching as his eyes narrowed into squints.

He was having a surprising amount of difficulty concentrating on the question. He could only assume that the adrenaline coursing through his veins was interfering with his ability to reason. It was kind of dangerous in his position but not entirely unusual so he paid it no mind.

The cloudy feeling dissipated after a few moments and allowed him to actually think about the question. Obviously, the question was Kakashi's way of giving him a hint in regards to the fight. It also meant that he wouldn't allow anyone to interfere, which kind of explained Anko's position. There's no way she would've ever agreed to that course of action. Itachi was one thing. The military police was something else entirely.

In any case, he likely already knew the answer to the question. It was just a matter of applying it to his current situation. After deliberating for a few seconds, he could think of two likely answers to the spy question.

Option A was to remove the infestation. It was time consuming and costly, but it was by far the most definitive of solutions. Unfortunately, that answer couldn't apply to his situation at all. He had problems landing a blow, so that only left option B.

Use the spies to your advantage. Spread disinformation and lay traps.

Immediately, the path to victory became amazingly clear. Plans and possibilities almost exploded in his mind as he pondered over the Uchiha's fighting style and imagined dozens of paths towards victory. He had won. It was that simple. His mind held onto that conviction closely, as if it would fly away and be forever lost if he dared let it go. He could not possibly lose. That feeling filled him with such supreme confidence that it almost overwhelmed him. For the first time, he became aware of his own power.

He was strong… stronger than those who wished to harm him.

The feeling was so wondrous that he began to laugh and inadvertently sent chills down the spines of his opponents. Not because his laugh inspired morbid thoughts but because it was the exact opposite. It was a sound filled with joy, innocence and beauty… and maybe just a little mischief.

When an opponent could laugh like that in the middle of combat, it spoke of unpleasant things to come. The Uchiha policemen supposed that he was either a fool or so much stronger that they couldn't even credibly threaten him. Considering that all evidence of their earlier efforts toward incapacitating him were no longer present, they were understandably leaning towards the latter option.

Nonetheless, it didn't take long for one of them to speak up. "What's so funny?"

Naruto's elated laughter died down into pleased chuckles as he straightened from his crouch. Only when his mirth calmed into a gentle smile did he begin to answer their question.

"You can't win," he answered softly.

The Ringmaster raised an eyebrow while his teammates scowled simultaneously. "What was that?" he questioned curiously.

The blond wasn't paying attention as he was still somewhat focused on his recent discovery. "You guys are good at hiding it. Even made me believe you were winning. I guess what shinobi deception really is," he declared as he shook his head ruefully.

"What are you talking about?" the Ringmaster reiterated in a louder voice.

Vivid blue eyes rotated inside their cages until they aligned with the leader. "I'm faster than you," the boy claimed, as if it explained everything. Seeing that his audience wasn't enlightened by his explanation, he decided to elaborate.

"The only reason I haven't won yet is because you guys keep avoiding my attacks. Since I'm a better fighter, I knew that the sharingan's ability to predict movement was the only thing that stood between me and victory… but I never stopped and actually thought about it," he revealed. "I'm way faster than you, but you four can still avoid my attacks. I knew it was because of the sharingan but I treated the situation as if it actually helped you move faster. It doesn't. Those eyes of yours don't make your muscles any stronger or your skills any sharper. They just give you a head start," he explained.

"What is your point?"

Naruto blinked in surprise. "Don't you get it? A head start is only useful if you act on it. You guys can only deal with my speed if you move at the smallest hint of movement. If I start to feint, you'll fall apart. The sharingan is no substitute for ability."

His words had been spoken with no disrespect or intent to insult but that didn't mean the policemen weren't offended. The demon vessel had already resigned to back up his affirmations with physical evidence when the Uchiha's upcoming charge was discontinued by their immediate superior. The Uchiha who most likely served as the second-in-command rushed to his commandant's side where they began a heated conversation at low volume.

Considering the fact that he could hear them just fine, they probably considered the observing civilians to be greater threats than he was.

Ringmaster wasted no time in scolding his teammate. "Do not act foolishly," he ordered. "This is no longer a battle we can win."

The policeman, taken aback by his superior's tone, winced slightly before switching tracks and targeting an Uchiha's greatest weakness. "Are we just going to let him get away with that? Are you so quick to throw our pride away?"

The highest ranking Uchiha on scene didn't budge an inch. "I choose my battles carefully," he enounced, insinuating the opposite about his inferior. "We have no weapons with which to harm him and we can no longer expect to avoid his attacks. A retreat here would cost us less face than a total loss. Ambiguity is our ally."

The second-in-command turned to glare briefly in his childish opponent's direction. He received a casual wave in response and failed to contain the surge of anger that welled up in him. "Are you so impressionable that you would let simple parlor tricks destroy your spirit? Hiding the extent of his injuries will not…"

Ringmaster coolly interrupted. "Fool," he said malignly. "Look closer. That is no illusion. If he seems undamaged it is because he is. You forget that his earlier fight with Itachi-san did not hamper his ability to fight us in any perceivable way."

Seeing that his subordinate had run out of arguments and was properly berated, the lead Uchiha gathered his troops to him and prepared to leave. Of course, Naruto couldn't just let them go after all that.

"Hey Ringmaster," he called out. "What's your name?"

While his teammates bristled at the insinuation that they were a circus troupe, the man in question simply turned and answered. "Shisui."

Naruto blinked in surprise. "You're the one they call Mirage?" he asked rhetorically. "Either you were holding back or Itachi's way stronger than you."

Shisui didn't seem to be offended. It seemed that he possessed a great deal of self-assurance. "My strength lies in illusions… and it seems that you possess formidable mental defenses."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "A bad match-up then."

The Uchiha nodded in agreement. "So it would seem."

"Before I go, should I expect more visits from angry clan members?"

Shisui shook his head. "Unlikely. They would not dare attempt to apprehend you while in the presence of Hatake-san and Mitarashi-san."

So he had noticed.

Having run out of things to say and feeling that a polite goodbye would have been inappropriate considering their circumstances, Naruto simply raised a hand in farewell before moving towards his caretakers. When he landed on the roof, two things happened. Anko stopped trying to escape and Kakashi closed his book.

"So, how did it feel?" The masked pervert asked.

Naruto frowned in confusion. "What?"

"Your first win."

He closed his eyes and recalled the feeling in his heart. Lightness, joy and contentment. Feeling as if he could fly away into the wind as he lost sight of the crushing weight of gravity. "It was incredible," was all he could find to say.

Kakashi nodded. "Did you learn your lesson? What Itachi was so desperately trying to teach you?"

Naruto had an idea, but kept his tongue still. The masked Jounin was about to explain anyway.

"You used Vagrant as a model upon which to mold your skill. From him, you stole the art of war and that made you a warrior."

Naruto sighed and closed his eyes. "A warrior… but not a shinobi."

Kakashi's voice pierced through the darkness and amazed him with its quality. Solid, serious… everything its owner was not. "That is correct. In your youth, you doubtlessly used all manners of tricks and clumsy strategies to try and beat Vagrant, only to fall short every time. Eventually, you gave up on that approach in order to concentrate on your physical abilities. But that has its own shortcomings."

This was the crux of the matter. "I'm at a disadvantage against shinobi."

"You need to think, Naruto. And I don't mean that ingenuity of yours. I'm talking about tactics and strategies that have been refined and perfected since the beginning of time. You need to learn war."

Naruto opened his eyelids and stared at his caretaker in uncertainty. "What do you mean? You said I was a warrior."

The copy-cat ninja shook his head. "You've learned to participate in war, Naruto. You have yet to learn how to manipulate it. That is what being a ninja is all about."

Suddenly, his head was cushioned by two soft pillows of flesh as arms snaked around his chest and pulled him into a cradle of warmth. "Kakashi, the rest can wait until later. It's his birthday and we have more important things to do."

Anko needn't have bothered trying to convince him. As soon as he'd noticed her escape, he had pulled out his book and returned to normal.

"Come on. Let's go back. You left before you could open your presents," she informed him cheerfully.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Presents?"


End file.
